National side of the new commemorative 2-euro coin intended for circulation and issued by Andorra

Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 10 February 2009  (2), euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a monetary agreement with the European Union providing for the issuing of euro coins are allowed to issue commemorative euro coins intended for circulation, provided that certain conditions are met, particularly that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the same technical characteristics as other 2-euro coins, but their national face features a commemorative design that is highly symbolic in national or European terms.

Issuing country: Andorra

Subject of commemoration: Summer solstice fire festivals in the Pyrenees

Description of the design: The summer solstice fire festivals were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015. They are traditional and popular festivities widely celebrated in Andorra each year. The design reproduces a human figure, named ‘fallaire’, wearing a traditional cape and tracing a circle of fire with the ‘falla’. This is the main element of the festival and consists of tree barks that, once lit, they are energetically whirled around creating large circles of fire. The graphic composition of lines in the background of the design represents the summer solstice together with the name of the issuing country ‘ANDORRA’ and the year ‘2023’.

The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Estimated number of coins to be issued: 70 000

Date of issue: Last quarter of 2023

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(1)  See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1 for the national faces of all the coins issued in 2002.

(2)  See the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 10 February 2009 and the Commission Recommendation of 19 December 2008 on common guidelines for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation (OJ L 9, 14.1.2009, p. 52).