New national face of euro coins intended for circulation

(2009/C 31/06)

Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties involved who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 8 December 2003 (2), euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a Monetary Agreement with the Community providing for issuing euro circulation coins are allowed to issue certain quantities of commemorative euro circulation coins on condition that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the technical features of normal euro circulation coins, but bear a commemorative design on the national side.

Issuing country: Germany

Subject of commemoration: Saarland

Description of the design: The inner part of the coin depicts the Saint Louis church (Ludwigskirche) in Saarbrücken. The name of the federal State ‘SAARLAND’ and the mintmark, represented by one of the letters ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘F’, ‘G’ or ‘J’, appear under the monument. The initials ‘FB’ of the engraver Friedrich Brenner are displayed on the right of the monument. The lower part of the outer ring of the coin features the name of the issuing country ‘BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND’ and the upper part bears the year ‘2009’ and twelve stars.

Maximum number of coins to be issued: 30 million

Approximate date of issue: February 2009

Edge lettering: EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT and the federal eagle.

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

(2)  See conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 8 December 2003 on changes in the design of national sides of euro coins.