2 euro coins
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 Common side of all €2 coins minted before 2007 |
.png) Common side of all €2 coins minted from 2007 onwards |
2 euro coins (€2) are made of an inner coin and an outer ring. The inner part is made of three layers nickel brass, brass and nickel brass. The outer part is made of cupronickel. They have a diameter of 25.75 mm, a 2.20 mm thickness and a mass of 8.5 grams. The coins' edges vary between national issues. Most are finely ribbed with edge lettering. All coins have a common reverse side and country-specific national sides.
Contents |
[edit] National edges
| Country | Edge inscription | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Austria |  |
The sequence "2 EURO ★★★" repeated four times alternately upright and inverted. |
| Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain |  |
The sequence "2 ★ ★" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted. |
| Cyprus |  |
The sequence "2 ΕΥΡΩ 2 EURO" repeated twice (2 EURO in Greek and Turkish). |
| Finland |  |
"SUOMI FINLAND" (FINLAND in Finnish and Swedish, the two official languages in Finland), followed by three lion's heads. |
| Germany |  |
"EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT" (UNITY AND JUSTICE AND FREEDOM in German), Germany's national motto and the beginning of Germany's national anthem, followed by the Federal Eagle. |
| Greece |  |
"ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ★" (ELLENIKI DEMOKRATIA: "HELLENIC REPUBLIC" in Greek). |
| Italy, San Marino, Vatican |  |
The sequence "2 ★" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted. |
| Malta |  |
The sequence "2✠✠" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted |
| Netherlands |  |
"GOD ★ ZIJ ★ MET ★ ONS ★" (GOD BE WITH US in Dutch). The same lettering had been applied to the larger denomination guilder coins. |
| Portugal |  |
The edge design features the seven castles and five coats of arms also found on the national side, all equally spaced. |
| Slovakia |  |
"SLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA" (SLOVAK REPUBLIC in Slovak) with two stars and linden leaf between. |
| Slovenia |  |
"SLOVENIJA⚫" (SLOVENIA in Slovene) |
| Due to the process of inscribing the edge, two types occur.
|
[edit] National sides
 Austria: Bertha von Suttner, the Austrian radical pacifist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. |
 Belgium: Effigy and monogram of King Albert II |
 Cyprus: The Idol of Pomos |
 Finland: The fruit and leaves of the cloudberry, designed by Raimo Heino. |
 France: A stylised tree contained in a hexagon† with the national motto, Liberté, égalité, fraternité. |
 Germany: Interpretation of the coat of arms of Germany, the German eagle. |
 Ireland: The Cláirseach, a traditional Irish harp. |
|
 Italy: Portrait of Dante Alighieri by the painter Raphael |
 Luxembourg: Effigy of Grand Duke Henri |
 Malta: The Maltese cross |
 Monaco: Effigy of Prince Albert II |
 Netherlands: Portrait of Queen Beatrix, her title vertically shown as in the former guilder coin. |
 San Marino: Government building (Palazzo Pubblico) |
 Slovakia: The Coat of arms of Slovakia, the Double Cross on Three Hills. |
|
 Slovenia: France Prešeren and the first line of the 7th stanza of Zdravljica, the Slovenian national anthem. |
 Spain: Effigy of King Juan Carlos I |
 Vatican: Effigy of Pope Benedict XVI |
[edit] Notes
† As France is broadly hexagonal, the term "l'Hexagone" ("Hexagon" in French) is often used in France to refer to the country.
[edit] Former designs
Designs still in circulation but no longer minted:
 Monaco: Effigy of Prince Rainier III |
 Vatican: Effigy of Pope John Paul II |
 Vatican: Issued during the Sede vacante period. Insignia of the Apostolic Chamber and the coat of arms of the Cardinal Chamberlain |
 Finland: 1st Series (1999–2006) |
 Belgium: 1st Series (1999–2007) |
[edit] Planned designs
Planned designs to come into circulation once the members who designed them adopt the euro. The dates shown below are tentative and have not been confirmed. They have been mentioned in the media and several other sources, but are subject to change.
 Lithuania: The Vytis, the Coat of arms of Lithuania. Introduction expected in 2013.[1] |
 Latvia: Latvian Maiden. Introduction currently planned in 2013. |
See Enlargement of the eurozone for more details of the schedule for these and other countries.
[edit] Similar coins
The coins were minted in several of the participating countries, many using blanks produced at Birmingham Mint, Birmingham, England. A problem has arisen in differentiation of coins made using similar blanks and minting techniques. The Turkish 1 Lira coin resembles very much the €2 coin in both weight and size, and both coins seem to be recognised and accepted by slot machines as being a €2 coin, which is roughly worth 4 times more. However there are now vending machines which have been upgraded to refuse the 1 lira coin. Similarly the 10 Thai baht coin, first minted in 1988, which is of similar shape and size to a €2 coin but worth around 10 times less has recently been appearing in the coin boxes of vending machines throughout Europe[2] and being given back as change in some smaller establishments. The new 50 qəpik coin of the Azerbaijani manat also seems like a €2 coin. (The new coin set of the country contains coins seems like some euro coins.) The Philippine 10 peso coin is also similar to the 2 Euro coin making it easy to pass for a Euro in some establishments in the EU.
[edit] References
- ^ "SEB: no euro for Lithuania before 2013". The Baltic Course. http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/analytics/?doc=7800. Retrieved on 22 December 2008.
- ^ Thai bahts causing euro problems
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Euro coins (2 euros) |
- "National sides of €2 coins". European Central Bank. http://www.ecb.int/bc/euro/coins/2euro/html/index.en.html. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
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