Date: 2012

Description:

On 1 January 2002, euro banknotes and coins were introduced in 12 Member States of the European Union. The introduction of the euro was an unprecedented challenge, but it went smoothly, and billions of banknotes and coins started to circulate in a matter of days.

• Five more Member States adopted the euro in later years
• By 2011, a total of 17 Member States – and 332 million people – use the currency
• The Euro has become a symbol of European strength and collaboration
• The states where the Single Currency is used has become known as the Euro Zone

Citizens and residents of the Euro Zone selected the winning design for this special €2 commemorative coin. They euro coin, issued by all euro area countries to commemorate ten years of euro banknotes and coins.

• A professional jury short-listed five designs
• Citizens and residents of the Euro Zone used web-voting to choose the winner

The winning design (by Helmut Andexlinger) symbolises the way in which the Euro has become a global player over the past ten years, as well as its importance in day-to-day life of Europeans, with various aspects being depicted: ordinary people (the family of four), trade (the ship), industry (the factory) and energy (the wind power stations).

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: 3,000,000 pieces

• Issue date: 8th January 2012

Obverse:

• Central to the design is a globe, framed by the Euro currency symbol (€) and surrounded by various thematic representations: ordinary people (the family of four), trade (the ship), industry (the factory) and energy (the wind power stations). The outer cupro-nickel ring contains twelve large stars – reflecting the twelve stars on the flag of Europe
  • The designer’s initials, “A.H.”, can be found (if you look very carefully) between the ship and the Eurotower
  • Along the upper and lower edges of the inner part of the coin are, respectively, the country of issue “éire” and the years “2002 – 2012”

Reverse:

• Designed by Luc Luycx and displays a map of Europe, not including Iceland and cutting off, in a semicircle, 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 disproportionately 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:

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

 

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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: