Date: 2007

2007 Ireland – special €2 commemorative coin – 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome

Description:

This was the first special €2 commemorative coin issued by Ireland and was part of the first pan-EU set, where all members issued a similar coin, albeit with some localisation differences, i.e. the legends are in national languages.

The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community and ultimately led to the introduction of the euro in 1999 and the euro banknotes and coins in 2002. The anniversary was celebrated on 25 March 2007 and the euro area countries have marked the occasion by jointly issuing this commemorative coin.

The coin shows the Treaty document signed by the six founding countries on a background evocating the paving (designed by Michelangelo) of the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, where the signing took place on 25 March 1957. Its design was selected following a competition organized by the European mints.

Bimetallic (Nk/Ng)

• Outer Ring:
  • Cupro-nickel (75% copper – 25% nickel clad on nickel core)
• Centre:
  • Nickel brass (75% copper – 20% zinc – 5% nickel)
• Diameter: 25.75 mm
• Thickness: 2.2 mm
• Weight: 8.5 g

Mintage: 3,973,549 pieces

• Issue date: May 25, 2007

Obverse:

• Treaty document signed by the six founding countries on a background echoing the paving (designed by Michelangelo) of the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome.
• Legend:
  • CONRADH NA RÓIMHE 50 BLIAIN
    • Translation: Treaty of Rome 50 Years
  • AN EORAIP
    • Translation: Europe
  • ÉIRE 2007
    • Translation: Ireland 2007

Reverse:

• Designed by Luc Luycx and displays a map of Europe, not including Iceland and cutting off, in a semi-circle, at the Bosporus, north through the middle of Ukraine and Belarus and through northern Scandinavia.
  • Cyprus is located further west than it should be
  • Malta is shown disproportionally large so it appears on the map
  • The map has numerous indentations giving an appearance of geography rather than a flat design. Six fine lines cut across the map except where there is landmass and have a star at each end – reflecting the twelve stars on the flag of Europe
• Across the map is the word EURO
• A large number 2 appears to the left hand side of the coin
• The designer’s initials, LL, appear next to Cyprus

Edge:

Ireland – Special €2 commemorative coin (incuse edge design)        2 ** 2 ** 2 ** 2 ** 2 ** 2 **

• Fine milled
• Edge lettering
  • Combination of the number 2 and ** repeated six times

Other Coins in this series:

• Web Page:
  • Irish Euro Coins

• Irish Euro Coinage:

  • Coins for Circulation
  • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Will the Irish 1c and 2c coins ever be scarce ?
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 1c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 2c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 5c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 10c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 20c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 50c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish €1 coins
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish €2 coins
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Commemorative €2 coins
  • BU sets
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish BU Euro Sets (Presentation Packs)
  • Irish Proof Euro Sets
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro Proof Sets
  • Irish Commemorative Euro Coins (Proofs)
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro Commemorative Coins

Further Reading: