Date: 2015

Description:

In July 2015, the 19 euro-area countries jointly issued a commemorative euro coin celebrating 30 years of the EU flag. Regardless of the country, it bears the same design on the national side, normally reserved for a motif specific to that country.

This is the fourth time the euro-area members have decided to collectively issue a commemorative coin:

• The first (2007) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
• The second (2009) when sixteen countries commemorated 10 years of the EMU
• The third (2012) to mark 10 years of euro cash.

As per the 2012 design competition: a professional jury short-listed five coin designs from a total of 62 designs submitted by Euro area mints. Euro-area citizens and residents were invited to select the winning design by public web-voting until 27 May 2015.

• The winning designer was declared to be Georgios Stamatopoulos (Bank Of Greece)
  • Marking the 30th anniversary of the EU flag, Stamatopoulos’ entry depicts 12 people forming a human chain around that flag with the 12 gold stars on a blue background.
  • His design was chosen by 30% of 100,000 voters in the online competition by the European Commission.
  • Its Vice President, Valdis Dombrovskis, said
    • “The coin celebrates a key moment of the adoption of the flag as the EU’s official emblem.”

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: 1,000,000 pieces

• Issue date: July 2015

Obverse:

• The central design shows the EU flag as a symbol that unites people and cultures with shared visions and ideals for a better common future. Twelve stars that morph into human figures are embracing the birth of a new Europe
• Top right, in semi-circle, are the issuing country “éIRe” and the years “1985-2015”
• Bottom right are the initials of the artist (Georgios Stamatopoulos) in Greek  “ΓΣ “
• The coin’s outer cupro-nickel ring bears the 12 stars of the European Union’s flag

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: