All collections » Euro coins
Euro coin catalogue
The euro currency was put into circulation on January 1, 2002, replacing the German mark, the French franc and many other currencies that have been on the move around the world for more than a decade. Today, the euro is the official currency of 19 EU states: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France and Estonia. The euro is also the currency of some non-European Union states, and some of them (Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, Vatican) issue euro coins with their national side.
The symbol of the euro is €. In one euro 100 cents. In total, coins of 8 denominations are issued: €0.01, €0.02, €0.05, €0.10, €0.20, €0.50, €1.00, €2.00.
All euro coins have a common reverse side indicating the face value. As for the obverse, the design of this side of the coin each country has its own. However, 12 EU stars must be present on both sides.
On Belgian, Dutch, Spanish, Finnish and French coins, the year of issue may be 1999. This is due to the fact that these countries traditionally place on coins the year of minting, and not the year of issuing the coin in circulation.
Every year, every country with the right to mint euro coins also issues commemorative and collectible coins. Commemorative coins with a face value of 2 euros have been issued since 2004. Each country has the right to issue no more than two such coins per year. Euro commemorative coins are legal tender in all eurozone states. The reverse of the coin is no different from the €2 coin of regular minting. The obverse can depict various historical events, famous personalities, flora or fauna of the country. There are some restrictions on the design of the obverse of commemorative coins. For example, coins must contain 12 European Union stars around the image and the year of issue, and the name of the country that issued the coin must be indicated.
As for euro collectible coins, their main difference from memorabilia is that they are not legal tender throughout the eurozone, but can be used only in the country where they were issued. Euro collectible coins are usually made of precious metals (gold, silver), although they can be made of simple ones. Collectible coins are mostly devoted to significant historical events and prominent personalities.
Euro coins by country
