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

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: Belgium

Subject of commemoration: The 75th anniversary of the national suffrage for women in Belgium

Description of the design: The design depicts in the centre a box on a ballot paper, which is being coloured in by a pencil. The coloured box is overlapped by the Venus symbol (the gender symbol for woman/female). At the bottom left next to the central image is inscribed 75 JAAR ANS. Surrounding the central image are also inscriptions in Dutch and French: ‘ALGEMEEN VROUWENKIESRECHT’ – ‘SUFFRAGE UNIVERSEL FÉMININ’. At the bottom of the piece are located the initials of the designer Iris Bruijns. As the Royal Dutch Mint will strike the coins, the mintmark of Utrecht, a mercury staff is located at the right side of the piece, together with the Belgian mint master mark, an aster flower in front of an Erlenmeyer flask, the country code ‘BE’ and the year mark ‘2023’.

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

Estimated number of coins to be issued: 130 000

Date of issue: October 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).