2 Euro commemorative coins

2 Euro

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

⇑ 2011 ⇑
2012
Image	Country		Date	Feature	Ref.	Volume
🔎		Common Issue	02 Jan. — 19. Jun. 2012	10th anniversary of Euro coins and banknotes	20001 20002 20004 20005	89,605,851	•
	Description : To mark the tenth anniversary of the final adoption of the euro as cash, all 17 EU countries using the euro as their official currency issued a commemorative € 2 coin. There were five designs submitted, which could be voted for online. The result was announed on the 30th of June 2011: the winning design was created by Helmut Andexlinger and shows a globe in the middle, overlaid with the euro symbol. The importance of the euro in Europe and the world as a whole coupled with the fact that it has become a global player in the international monetary system over the last ten years, is illustrated by the euro symbol. According to the designer, the symbolic elements around the stylised globe represent the suggestion that the euro offers more opportunities for businesses and markets which in turn ensures economic stability by encouraging investment in this environment. The factory shape symbolises production, the cargo ship trade, all of which benefit the symbolic family of four with three homes by providing more quality jobs and stable consumer prices. The symbol of the Eurotower in Frankfurt/M. represents financial strength and the two wind turbines shows stimulation in innovative investments that this environment presents, whose central element is the euro. At the bottom of the coin are the years "2002 and "2012". The Luxembourg coin has a special feature in this series: Luxembourg law stipulates that no national coin may be issued without the portrait of the head of state. Therefore, the portrait of Grand Duke Henri, designed by Alain Hoffmann, is shown as a latent image above the € symbol in the centre. San Marino, which is not a member of the European Union, adopted the same motif for its own commemorative coin a few months later.

🔎		Luxembourg	30 Jan. 2012	100 years since the death of William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg 9th coin of the Grand-Ducal Dynasty series	20001 20002 20005	722,500	•
	Description : The coin design, based on a design concept of the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg - BCL (Luxembourg Central Bank), shows Grand Duke Henri and his great‐grandfather William IV, who died 100 years ago, in front of the silhouette of the city of Luxembourg with the Cathedral of Our Lady built in the 18th century. Below the portraits are their names "HENRI" on the left and "GUILLAUME IV" (William IV) on the right, as well as his year of death "† 1912". The three‐line inscription at the top reads in French "GRAND‐DUCS DE LUXEMBOURG" (Grand Dukes of Luxenburg), indicating the country of issue, but the previous Luxembourg euro coins designated this in the national language Luxembourgish as "LËTZEBUERG" (Luxembourg). Above it is the year of issue "2012", flanked on the right by an Hermes staff the mint mark of the Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht and on the left by the sails of the three‐masted clipper Nederland the logo of mint master Maarten Brouwer.

🔎		Germany	03 Feb. 2012	Bavaria (Neuschwanstein Castle) 7th coin in the Federal States series	20001 20002 20005	30,883,000	•
	Description : Neuschwanstein Castle was built between 1869 and 1892 by order of the Bavarian King Ludwig II as an idealised representation of a knight's castle from the Middle Ages. The king did not live to see its complete completion. Disputes over his indebtedness, which increased with the escalating construction costs, led to the deposition of the king by the Bavarian government in 1886. Ludwig II was staying at Neuschwanstein Castle at the time of his deposition and left it the day before his death in Lake Starnberg on the 13th of June 1886. The coin design depicting the castle in front of the silhouette of the Allgäu Alps with the 2059 m high Great Silt is by Erich Ott, whose logo "Œ" appears on the left. On the right is 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), and at the bottom below the motif is the federal state name "BAYERN" (Bavaria). The country abbreviation "D" (for Deutschland / Germany) is at the top of the ring and at the bottom is the year "2012" flanks the 6 o'clock star on both sides. ‐ ‐ The coin motif for Bavaria was originally intended to be the Munich Frauenkirche ("Cathedral of our Dear Lady").

🔎		Spain	01 Mar. 2012	Burgos Cathedral 3rd coin in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites series	20001 20002 20005	4,000,000	•
	Description : Spain's first large cathedral in Gothic style, built 1221‐1567, has been considered a UNESO World Heritage Site since 1984. The Spanish national hero from the Reconquista (Reconquest) period, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as El Cid was originally buried in Castile he was re‐interned in 1835 in Burgos Cathedral. The coin motif, designed by Alfonso Morales Muñoz depicts the upper western facade and the crossing tower. On the upper left‐hand side of the motif is "ESPAÑA" (Spain) and on the right‐hand side the year of issue "2012", and below it the letter "M" adorned with a crown, the mint mark of the Spanish mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid.

🔎		Belgium	06 Jun. 2012	75th anniversary of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition	20001 20002 20005	5,013,000	•
	Description : Queen Elisabeth of Belgium (1876‐1965) organised the music competition based on the conception of the Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. The first prize‐winner was David Oistrakh in 1937. The competition is held alternately in the categories violin, piano and voice, and in odd‐numbered years also as a composition competition. The winner in 2012 was Andrey Baranov, violin. The coin design is by Luc Luycx. It shows the crowned monogram of the Queen, logo of the Concours Musical Reine Elisabeth, in front of her silhouette. At the top are the dates "1937 ‐ 2012", below in a semicircle "QUEEN ELISABETH COMPETITION" and on the right the country abbreviation "BE" (Begium). On the left is a feather the logo of the mint master Serge Lesens, on the right 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.

🔎		Portugal	21 Jun. 2012	Guimaräes, European Capital of Culture 2012	20001 20002 20005	520,000	•
	Description : Guimarães was the capital of the county of Portucale from 1096 and is called the "cradle of the nation" ‐ the first capital of the Kingdom of Portugal, however, was Coimbra from 1139. The historic centre of Guimarães has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. The coin shows, stylised, the helmet and sword of the statue of Dom Alfonso Henriques (∼1109‐1185), the first king of Portugal, placed in front of the city walls. On the right, the issue occasion "GUIMARÃES", "2012" and the heart‐shaped logo of the event year are depicted below each other. On the left, the escutcheon from the coat of arms of Portugal is depicted, with the country name "PORTUGAL" below it. At the bottom is "INCM" the mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon, as well as "José de Guimarães", the artist name of the designer José Maria Fernandes Marques.

🔎		France	24 Jun. 2012	100th birthday of Abbé Pierre	20001 20002 20005	1,020,000	•
	Description : Henri Antoine Grouès (1912‐2007) was a popular French Catholic priest who founded the charity Emmaus. During the resistance in the Second World War he adopted his pseudonym Abbé Pierre. Next to Abbé Pierre's portrait, designed from a photograph, is his motto "Et les autres?" (And the others?), an appeal to helpfulness. The inscription "Centenaire de la naissance de l'abbé Pierre" (Abbé Pierre's centenary) is in a semicircle at the top. A pentagon, the logo of mint master and designer Yves Sampo, is below the year "2012". A cornucopia, the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, is on the left of the coin next to the country abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic).

🔎		Monaco	28 Jun. 2012	500th anniversary of the establishment of Monaco’s sovereignty by Lucien I Grimaldi	20001 20002 20005	110,000	•
	Description : In 1512, King Louis XII of France recognised Monegasque independence. The coin shows the portrait of Lucien I, Lord of Monaco (1481‐1523), who defended Monaco in 1507 against a superior Genoese force. The design of the coin, which is based on a painting attributed to Ambrogio de Predis in the early 16th century, is by Robert Prat. The lower left‐hand side shows "LUCIEN 1er", flanked in a circle by a lozenge borrowed from the coat of arms of Monaco, and the inscription "1512 SOUVERAINETÉ DE MONACO 2012" (Monaco's independence). On the left‐hand side is a cornucopia as a symbol of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, and on the right‐hand side a pentagon as the mint master's mark Yves Sampos.

🔎		Italy	18 Jul. 2012	100th anniversary of the death of Giovanni Pascoli	20001 20002 20005	15,000,000	•
	Description : Giovanni Pascoli (1855‐1912) shaped the development of the modern Italian language by using many words from the numerous Italian dialects in his poetry for the first time. This caused the greatest upheaval in the Italian literary language since the Middle Ages. His best‐known work is the collection of poems Myricae, published in successive editions between 1891 and 1911. A sense of the mystery of life, fear, death and melancholy are prevalent aspects of Pascoli's poetry. The medallist Maria Carmela Colaneri designed the coin after a pencil drawing by Augusto Majani (Nasica) (1867‐1959) made in 1912. The name "G. PASCOLI" is shown at the bottom, his year of death "1912" at the top left and the year of issue "2012" at the right, as well as the ligature of the country name "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) below. On the left is the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome and the signet "M.C.C." of the designer.

🔎		Malta	20 Aug. 2012	1887 Majority Representation 2nd coin of the Constitutional History series	20001 20002 20005	405,000	•
	Description : The second issue of the five‐part coin series commemorates the introduction of majority voting and the formation of Malta's first representative government in 1887. The coin, designed by the Maltese artist Ġanni Bonnici, depicts cheering people in front of the Governor's Palace in Valletta, completed in 1575. At the top is a semicircle depicting "MALTA ‐ Majority representation 1887", (Malta ‐ Majority representation 1887), below the year of issue "2012". The coin was minted without a mint mark by the Royal Dutch Mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht; specimens in commemorative coin sets bear their mint mark, a Hermes staff, between the 5 and 6 o'clock star.

🔎		Finland	05 Oct. 2012	150th birthday of Helene Schjerfbeck	20001 20002 20005	2,000,000	•
	Description : The early work of the Finnish‐Swedish painter Helene Schjerfbeck (1862‐1946) was characterised by a radical naturalism. After a study visit to Paris, she felt like an outsider in the national‐romantic dominated Finnish art world. She left naturalism behind and developed her own style of painting, characterised by expressive colours and strong lines. Dedicated to her 150th birthday, the coin motif designed by Eria Tielinen depicts a self‐portrait of Schjerfbeck painted in 1937. On the occasion of the 50th‐anniversary of her death, it resembles the 100‐markkaa coin minted in 1996. On the left, the name "HELENE SCHJERFBECK" is depicted vertically, below it the country abbreviation "FI" (Finland) and next to it the year of issue "2012". On the right, the dates of her life "1862‐1946" are written vertically and below that a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa.

🔎		Vatican City	16 Oct. 2012	7th World Meeting of Families ‐ Milan 2012	20001 20002 20005	103,000	•
	Description : After Rome 1994, Rio de Janeiro 1997, Rome 2000, Manila 2003, Valencia 2006 and Mexico City 2009, the VII World Meeting of Families was held in Milan from the 29th of May to 3rd of June 2012. The coin motif, designed by Gabriella Titotto, shows a family ‐ a couple with three children ‐ in front of the Milan Cathedral built between 1386 and 1813. In the upper right‐hand corner, the issuing country is "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City), and in a semicircle at the bottom, the reason for commemoration "VII INCONTRO MONDIALE DELLE FAMIGLIE" (7th World Meeting of Families). It was minted at the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, whose mint mark "R" is at the bottom right. The year of issue "2012" is shown on the right. The logo of the designer "G.TITOTTO" and "LDS INC." (INC. = Incisore / Engraver) of the engraver Luciana De Simoni are on the left.

🔎		Luxembourg	20 Dec. 2012	Royal Wedding of Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg to Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy 10th coin of the Grand-Ducal Dynasty series	20001 20002 20005	512,000	•
	Description : On the 19th and 20th of October 2012, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy were married in a civil ceremony and in church respectively. Grand Duke Henri is depicted behind the bride and groom on the coin. The design concept following the photo templates comes from the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg - BCL (Luxembourg Central Bank). The coin was produced using the MPI (Minted Photo Image) minting technique. Below, the commemorative occasion "PRËNZENHOCHZÄIT" (prince's wedding), the issuing country "LËTZEBUERG" (Luxembourg) and the year "2012" are mentioned in three lines, flanked on the right by an Hermes staff the mint mark of the Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht and on the left by the sails of the three‐masted clipper Nederland the logo of mint master Maarten Brouwer.

⇓ 2013 ⇓

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