2 Euro commemorative coins

2 Euro

C o m m e m o r a t i v e C o i n s

⇑ 2007 ⇑
2008
Image	Country		Date	Feature	Ref.	Volume
🔎		Germany	01 Feb. 2008	Hamburg (St.‐Michaelis‐Church) 3rd coin in the Federal States series	20001 20002 20005	30,513,630	•
	Description : The coin depicts the church of St Michaelis in Hamburg, popularly known as Michel, which was built between 1762‐1786 (and rebuilt between 1906‐1912) and is the symbol of the Hanseatic city. The church is named after the archangel Michael, who is depicted (left) as a large bronze statue above the main portal as the victor in the battle with Satan. Below is the name of the federal state "HAMBURG", above to the right the German mint mark (A = Staatliche Münze Berlin in Berlin, D = Bayerisches Hauptmünzamt in Munich, F = Staatliche Münzen Baden‐Württemberg in Stuttgart, G = Staatliche Münzen Baden‐Württemberg in Karlsruhe or J = Landesbetrieb Hamburgische Münze in Hamburg), in the middle on the right the logo "Œ" of the designer Erich Ott. The name of the issuing country "BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND" (Federal States of Germany) is arranged in a semicircle at the bottom of the ring and at the top the year "2008" is flanked on both sides by six European stars. ‐ ‐ Originally, the St. Pauli landing piers were intended as a coin motif. Some 600,000 coins were accidentally minted by the Stuttgart mint (mint mark "F") with the old value side, which was valid from 2002 to 2006.

🔎		Luxembourg	01 Feb. 2008	Berg Castle 5th coin of the Grand-Ducal Dynasty series	20001 20002 20005	1,042,000	•
	Description : The coin design, based on a design concept of the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg - BCL (Luxembourg Central Bank), depicts Grand Duke Henri in half‐profile on the left, with the residence of the Grand Ducal family, Berg Castle, designed by Max Ostenrieder and Pierre Funck‐Eydt under Grand Duke Wilhelm IV and built in 1907‐1911, to the right. The name of the issuing country "LËTZEBUERG" (Luxembourg) can be seen below, the year of issue "2008" above, flanked on the left by a cornucopia the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac and on the right by a hunting horn with the sign of the zodiac Pisces the logo of the French mint master Hubert Larivière.

🔎		San Marino	20 May 2008	European Year of Intercultural Dialogue	20001 20002 20005	130,000	•
	Description : The coin shows five standing human silhouettes in front of a globe segment representing the outlines of Europe, symbolising the different cultures represented in Europe from the five continents of America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. In the foreground, four sacred scriptures of the different cultures are depicted in book form. The intercultural dialogue is intended to respect and promote cultural diversity in Europe, to improve coexistence and to promote active and cosmopolitan European citizenship based on common values. At the top the issuing country "SAN MARINO" and the year of issue "2008" are mentioned, below in a semicircle the occasion of issue "ANNO EUROPEO DEL DIALOGO INTERCULTURALE" (European Year of Intercultural Dialogue). On the right are the initials "E.L.F." of the designer Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini and on the left the letter "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome.

🔎		Slovenia	26 May 2008	500th birthday of Primož Trubar	20001 20002 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : Primož Trubar (1508‐1586) came into contact with humanistic ideas and the Reformation in Trieste under Bishop Pietro Bonomo. At the beginning of the 1530s he preached in Slovene as the vicar of Bishop Christophorus Rauber in Ljubljana. Because of his turn to Protestantism, he was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1547 and went into exile in Germany. As a deacon in Rothenburg ob der Tauber he published the first book in Slovenian "Catechismus In der Windischenn Sprach" in 1550. 1553‐1561, now a Protestant pastor in Kempten, he translated the New Testament from the Luther Bible into Slovenian. In 1567 he became parish priest in Derendingen near Tübingen, where he died in 1586. His grave in the St.‐Gallus‐Church is often visited by Slovenian groups, who honour in him the reformer and/or the founder of Slovenian literature. The coin shows him, who is also depicted on the Slovenian 1 euro coin, according to a bust by the Bosnian‐Slovenian sculptor Mirsad Begič. On the left side the name "PRIMOŽ TRUBAR" and his life data "1508 • 1586" are shown, on the right side "SLOVENIJA 2008" (Slovenia 2008). The design is by Maja Licul and Miljenko Licul, the plaster model was created by Janez Boljka. The coin was minted without mintmarks by the Royal Dutch Mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht.

🔎		Belgium	30 May 2008	60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights	20001 20002 20005	5,018,000	•
	Description : At the session of the United Nations General Assembly held at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris on the 10th of December 1948, Resolution 217 was adopted with the ‐ legally non‐binding ‐ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its Article 1 reads: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights". The coin designed by Luc Luycx is dedicated to this resolution. A rectangle surrounded by curved lines, resembling a stylised book, bears a circle symbolising the circle of the earth and the number "60". Below this, the occasion of issue "UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS" is written in four lines. Above it is the year "2008". Below is in a semicircle the name of the issuing country "BELGIE ‐ BELGIQUE ‐ BELGIEN" in the three national languages Dutch, French and German, flanked on the left by the helmeted head of the Archangel Michael the mint mark of the Royal Belgian mint Monnaie Royale de Belgique / Koninklijke Munt van België / Königliche Belgische Münzprägeanstalt in Brussels and on the right by a scale the logo of mint master Romain Coenen.

🔎		France	01 Jul. 2008	French Presidency of the Council of the European Union	20001 20002 20004 20005	20,084,936	•
	Description : Following the Euro‐Mediterranean Partnership launched in Barcelona in 1995, the Mediterranean Union was founded during France's Presidency in 2008. The coin design by Philippe Starck shows the year of issue "2008" and below it (in four lines) the theme "PRÉSIDENCE FRANÇAISE UNION EUROPÉENNE" (French Presidency of the European Union). Below this is the country abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic) and at the bottom left a cornucopia, the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Pessac, and to the right a hunting horn with the sign of the zodiac for Pisces, the logo of the acting mint master Hubert Larivière. On behalf of the European Commission, 5,000 copies of this coin, coloured yellow throughout on the motif side, were produced in numbered blister packs and distributed to EU staff ‐ the first coloured euro circulation coins. A Commission Recommendation issued in 2010 reads "Member States should not encourage, but tolerate, damage to euro coins for artistic purposes. Coins damaged in this way should be considered unfit for circulation.

🔎		Portugal	15 Sep. 2008	60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights	20001 20002 20005	1,035,000	•
	Description : At the session of the United Nations General Assembly held at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris on the 10th of December 1948, Resolution 217 was adopted with the ‐ legally non‐binding ‐ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its Article 1 reads: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights". The coin pays tribute to this resolution. At the top ‐ as in the coat of arms of Portugal ‐ the coat of arms is depicted on an armillary sphere, below it the name of the issuing country "PORTUGAL" and the year "2008". The lower half shows, stylised, a group of fifteen people. The occasion of issue "60 ANOS DA DECLARAÇÃO UNIVERSAL DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS" (60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) is mentioned in a circle on the edge of the pill. At the top right is the signet "Esc.J.Duarte" of the sculptor (Portuguese Escultor = Esc.) and coin designer João Duarte and "INCM" the mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon.

🔎		Vatican City	16 Oct. 2008	2008 ‐ Year of Saint Paul the Apostle	20001 20002 20005	106,084	•
	Description : A Greek‐educated Jew and law‐abiding Pharisee with Roman citizenship, Paul († ∼64 AD) initially persecuted the followers of Jesus Christ. It was only through his Damascus experience that he is said to have been converted to Christianity and called to be an apostle to the nations. The coin designer Guido Veroi has represented this with a ray of light that falls on Paul and his rearing horse. In the background is the city wall of Damascus with three defence towers and a city gate. Two arch‐shaped inscriptions surround the motif, on the right "ANNO SANCTO PAULO DICATO" (in the year dedicated to St. Paul) the reason for issuing the coin and on the left "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City). The year of issue, "2008", is shown on the right, with the letter "R" below, which is the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. Below the horses hoove's are the logos "VEROI" of the designer and "L.D.S.INC." (INC. = Incisore / Engraver) of the engraver Luciana De Simoni.

🔎		Finland	24 Oct. 2008	60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights	20001 20002 20005	1,500,000	•
	Description : At the session of the United Nations General Assembly held in the Palais de Chaillot in Paris on the 10th of December 1948, Resolution 217 was adopted with the ‐ legally non‐binding ‐ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its Article 1 reads: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights". The coin pays tribute to this resolution and shows a surface ‐ as if made of quarry stones ‐ with a heart‐shaped opening through which a human figure can be seen. Below the heart, the words "HUMAN RIGHTS" are stamped. The year "2008" is shown at the top. At the bottom, from left to right, the country abbreviation "FI" for Finland, the signet "K" of the designer Taipo Kettunen and a horn of plenty with rounds the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa can be seen.

🔎		Italy	10 Dec. 2008	60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights	20001 20002 20005	2,500,000	•
	Description : At the session of the United Nations General Assembly held in the Palais de Chaillot in Paris on the 10th of December 1948, Resolution 217 was adopted with the ‐ legally non‐binding ‐ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its Article 1 reads: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights". The coin pays tribute to this resolution. The coin shows a man and a woman with the symbols of the right to peace (olive branch), to food (ears of corn), to work (cogwheel) and to freedom (a piece of barbed wire) as well as broken chain links forming the number "60". The inscription "DIRITTI UMANI" (human rights) runs in an arc across the lower part of the coin, above which is the ligature "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) and the year "2008". On the right are the initials "MCC" of the designer Maria Carmela Colaneri and the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome.

⇓ 2009 ⇓

References :
20001	Images taken with authorisation by the ECB ‐ Mail dated 20.Feb.2020 © "European Central Bank"	20002	Data mirrored from Wikipedia Page "2_euro_commemorative_coins" with friendly support of the guardians of that page.
20003	Not Applicable	20004	Coloured version of this Commemorative Coin in circulation EU‐legal‐technical specifications do not recongnise colour prints, but the EU is tolerate them, due to the facts that their numbers are very small and that they are sold in special packs and therefor are very unlikely to be used as currency.
20005	enlarged Images taken with authorisation by Gerd Seyffert © "Gerd Seyffert 2021"	20006	Not Applicable