2 Euro commemorative coins

2 Euro

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

⇑ 2012 ⇑
2013
Image	Country		Date	Feature	Ref.	Volume
🔎 🔎
		France	21 Jan. 2013	50 Year anniversary of the Élysée‐Treaty (Fanco‐German Friendship) Issued jointly by France and Germany	20001 20002 20005	10,017,789	•
		Germany	22 Jan. 2013		20001 20002 20005	11,585,000
	Description : The Franco‐German Friendship Treaty (Élysée Treaty) was signed on the 22nd of January 1963. The coin issued jointly by France and Germany shows on the left the then President of France, Charles de Gaulle (1890‐1970), and his signature, and on the right the then Chancellor of Germany, Konrad Adenauer (1876‐1967), and his signature. The coin was designed by Yves Sampo and Stefanie Lindner. The reason for this issue is at the top in French "TRAITÉ DE L'ÉLYSÉE", at the bottom in German "ÉLYSÉE‐VERTRAG", in the middle the anniversary "50" "ANS" "JAHRE" (50 years) together with the year of issue "2013". On the German coin, the mint mark of the German mint (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) is located to the right above the signature, below which is the country abbreviation "D" (for Deutschland / Germany). On the left of the French coin there is a cornucopia, the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, on the right above Adennauer's signature is a pentagon, the logo of mint master Yves Sampo and below the signature is the country abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic).

🔎		Germany	01 Feb. 2013	Baden‐Württemberg (Maulbronn Monastery) 8th coin in the Federal States series	20001 20002 20005	30,845,000	•
	Description : Maulbronn Monastery, a former Cistercian abbey founded in 1147, is considered the best preserved medieval monastery complex north of the Alps and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. The coin design by Eugen Ruhl shows an interior view of the fountain house and the west facade of the monastery church, consecrated in 1178, with the vestibule, called "Paradise", built around 1210. At the top of the motif is the year of issue "2013", on 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), below the main motif the name of the federal state "BADEN‐WÜRTTEMBERG" and below it the abbreviation "D" (for Deutschland / Germany). At the bottom to the left are the initials "ER" of the designer. ‐ ‐ Originally the Heidelberg Castle was intended as the motif for Baden‐Württemberg's commemorative coin, but when the UNESCO World Conference in July 2005 failed to recognise it as a World Heritage Site, the design was changed.

🔎		Slovenia	04 Feb. 2013	800 years since the discovery of the Postojna Cave	20001 20002 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : The commemorative coin commemorates the 800th anniversary of the first documented visit to the Postojna Caves (Adelsberg Cave), a huge system of stalactite caves in the Karst. The touristically accessible part comprises more than 20 km of cave passages. Two massive stalagmites are depicted inside the cave. The semicircular inscription reads "POSTOJNSKA JAMA·1213‐2013·SLOVENIJA" (Postojna Caves·1213‐2013·Slovenia). The coin designed by Matevž Zalar was minted without mint mark by the Slovak mint Mincovňa Kremnica š.p. in Kremnica.

🔎		Netherlands	07 Feb. 2013	The announcement of the abdiction of the throne by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix	20001 20002 20005	20,000,000	•
	Description : The commemorative coin is dedicated to the announcement on the 28th of January 2013 of the change of monarch on the 30th of April 2013, the commemorative coin designed by Pannos Goutzemisis shows a portrait of Queen Beatrix (in the foreground) and Crown Prince Willem‐Alexander (in the background). Around the outside of the motif in a circle are the inscriptions "WILLEM‐ALEXANDER PRINS VAN ORANJE" (Pince Willem‐Alexander of Orange) and "BEATRIX KONINGIN DER NEDERLANDEN" (Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands), separated by a crown at the top and and by the date "28 JANUARI 2013" (28th of January 2013) at the bottom. On the left of the date are the sails of the three‐mast clipper Nederland the logo of the mint master Maarten Brouwer and on the right by the staff of Hermes the mint mark of the Royal Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht. The European stars on this coin are not ‐ as usual ‐ flat, but are embossed.

🔎		Spain	02 Mar. 2013	Monastery and Site of the El Escorial, Madrid 4th coin in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites series	20001 20002 20005	4,000,000	•
	Description : In 1563‐1584, on the initiative of King Philip II of Spain and according to plans by Juan Bautista de Toledo, the largest Renaissance building in the world was built, El Escorial Palace, in the north‐west of the Madrid region. The coin motif, designed by Alfonso Morales Muñoz, depicts a southern view of the El Escorial Palace and Convent palace complex, with its two bell towers and the church dome, with olive trees growing on the hillside in front. At the top of the motif is "ESPAÑA" (Spain), to the right of it is the year of issue "2013" and below it the letter "M" adorned with a crown, the mint mark of the Spanish mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid.

🔎		Italy	20 May 2013	200th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi	20001 20002 20005	10,000,000	•
	Description : Giuseppe Verdi (1813‐1901), the Italian composer of the Romantic period, became famous above all for his operas, including Rigoletto, Otello and Falstaff. The 200th anniversary of his birth is the occasion for this commemorative coin, which was designed after the 1886 oil painting Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi, seated by Giovanni Boldini (1842‐1931). Below is his name "G. VERDI" and above it his year of birth "1813" (left) and the year of issue "2013" (right). On the left is the ligature of the country "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic), on the right the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. The initials "MCC" of the medallist Maria Carmela Colaneri appear on the lower right.

🔎		France	03 Jun. 2013	150th birthday of Pierre de Coubertin	20001 20002 20005	1,014,338	•
	Description : Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1863‐1937) was a French educator, historian and sports official who from 1880 was involved in the revival of the Olympic Games. In 1894 he founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC), of which he was president from 1896 to 1925. On the 6th of April 1896, the first Olympic Games of modern times were opened in Athens. The Olympic rings, which became the symbol of the Olympic Games from 1920, were designed by Baron Coubertin himself in 1913. Coubertin's grave is in Lausanne, but his heart was buried in a memorial column in Olympia. Next to a portrait of Coubertin based on a photograph from 1894, four athletes from different disciplines depicted in stylised Olympic rings. At the top of the coin are the words "PIERRE DE COUBERTIN". To the bottom right is a pentagon, the logo of mint master and designer Yves Sampo, to the bottom left is a cornucopia the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, above it is "2013" and the country abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic).

🔎		Vatican City	03 Jun. 2013	Sede vacante MMXIII	20001 20002 20005	125,000	•
	Description : The surprising resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, who had been in office since 2005, caused a sedis vacancy ‐ which means "vacant seat" (Petri). The coin motif shows the emblem of the Apostolic Chamber which is above the coat of arms of the Cardinal Treasurer Tarcisio Bertone and underneath his motto "Fidem custodire, concordiam servare" (keep the faith, keep harmony). On the left of the motif is the issuing country "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City) and on the right the reason for commemoration "SEDE VACANTE MMXIII" (2013 vacant seat), at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock position is a cross pattée each. The lower one is flanked by, on the left "P. DANIELE" the logo of the designer Patrizio Daniele and on the right the initials "M.C.C. INC." (INC. = incisore / engraver) of the engraver Maria Carmela Colaneri. The coin was produced by the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, whose mint mark "R" is on the left.

🔎		Monaco	17 Jun. 2013	20th anniversary of its accession to the UN	20001 20002 20005	1,249,131	•
	Description : The commemorative coin commemorating the 20th anniversary of Monaco's accession to the United Nations shows a dove with an olive branch in its beak, hovering over the populated continents, depicted according to the United Nations flag. The design of the coin, from the Atelier de Gravures of the Monnaie de Paris, shows on the left the cornucopia as a sign of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, and on the right a pentagon as the mint master's mark Yves Sampos. At the top there is a semi‐circle with the indication of the issuing country "MONACO" and at the bottom in the semi‐circle the words "1993 ♦ ADMISSION À L'ONU ♦ 2013" (admission to the UN). The coin has a much larger circulation than all previous commemorative coins of the Principality.

🔎		Portugal	20 Jun. 2013	250th anniversary of the Torre dos Clérigos, Porto	20001 20002 20005	525,000	•
	Description : The Church of the Clergy was built in 1732‐1750, its baroque bell tower, adorned with a sculpture of the early Christian theologian and missionary Paul of Tarsus († ∼67), in 1754‐1763 by the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni for the religious community Irmandade dos Clérigos Pobres. At almost 76 m high, the tower once served as an orientation aid for seafarers; today it is the city's landmark. The coin design also shows the striking Ponte Dom Luís I bridge over the river Douro, completed in 1886. The historic centre of Porto has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. At the top, the occasion of issue "250 ANOS TORRE DOS CLÉRIGOS‐2013" (250 Years of the Church of the Clergy‐2013) is shown in a semicircle, on the right below the bridge ‐ as in the coat of arms of Portugal ‐ the coat of arms shield on an armillary sphere and below it the country name "PORTUGAL". On the left, "INCM" the mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon is depicted, behind it "HUGO MACIEL" the signet of the coin designer Hugo Maciel.

🔎		Malta	24 Jun. 2013	Establishment of Self‐Government in 1921 3rd coin of the Constitutional History series	20001 20002 20005	542,500	•
	Description : Women, men and children behind the outlines of the Maltese archipelago (below Malta, left Gozo, in between Comino) symbolise Malta's self‐government, introduced in 1921. The coin design was created by Ġanni Bonnici. Above right is a semicircle of "MALTA — Self ‐ government 1921". (Malta ‐ Local Government 1921), below the year of issue "2013" is shown. The coin was minted without a mint mark by the Royal Dutch Mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht; specimens contained in commemorative coin sets bear their mint mark, a Hermes staff, between the 5 and 6 o'clock star.

🔎		Slovakia	05 Jul. 2013	1150th anniversary of the advent of the mission of Constantine and Methodius to Great Moravia	20001 20002 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : Constantine (∼826‐869) and Michael (∼815‐885), known as Cyril and Method(ius) were two Byzantine brothers from Thessaloniki. In preparation for their mission to Prince Ratislav's West Slavic Great Moravia they created the Glagolitic alphabet based on the Greek alphabet, but with borrowings from Armenian, Georgian and Semitic writing systems. They began to write Slavic languages and translated large parts of the Bible into Slavic. From 863 as part of the Byzantine Mission they brought Orthodoxy and helped to give full sovereignty and legitimacy to the first Slavic state in Central Europe. Today they are venerated as "Slavic Apostles". Miroslav Hric's coin design was initially rejected by the EU because of its religious imagery. A Byzantine double cross (or "Slovak Cross") is held as though it were a bishop's crook (above the trimount), linking a state symbol with a Christian symbol. Constantine holds a book in his hands signifying education and faith, while Method is depicted with a stylised church symbolising faith and institutional Christianity. Directly above the motif are the names "KONŠTANTÍN" and "METOD" with the issuing country "SLOVENSKO" (Slovakia) at the bottom, and the dates "863·2013" on the right. To the left are the designer's abbreviated initials "mh" and on the right the mint mark "MK" between two embossing stamps of the Slovak mint Mincovňa Kremnica š.p. in Kremnica.

🔎		Italy	25 Jul. 2013	700th birthday of Giovanni Boccaccio	20001 20002 20005	10,000,000	•
	Description : Giovanni Boccaccio (1313‐1375) was an Italian writer, poet, democrat and important representative of humanism from Florence. His masterpiece, the Decamerone, is a collection of one hundred novellas written between 1349 and 1353 ‐ a style‐defining work that became the model for almost all other Western novella collections. It portrays the multifaceted society of the 14th century with hitherto unknown realism and wit, and elevates Boccaccio to the status of founder of the prose narrative tradition in Europe. The portrait is from a fresco on wood by Andrea del Castagno (∼1418‐1457) painted around 1450, the coin design is the work of Roberto Mauri. At the bottom, "BOCCACCIO" and the dates "1313" and "2015" are written in the shape of an arc, on the right the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome is depicted, the ligature of the country "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) and "m" as the designer's signet.

🔎		Finland	04 Sep. 2013	150th anniversary of the Parliament of 1863 when regular Parliament sessions started in Finland	20001 20002 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : The convening of the Imperial Diet of the Grand Duchy of Finland ushered in a period of "enlightenment". In Finland, 1863 marked the beginning of true democracy, transparent press operations and the right to use the Finnish language. The convening of regular sessions of the Diet improved the ability of Finns to influence affairs in their country, which was part of the Russian Empire. The coin, designed by Petri Neuvonen, shows the tendril of a germinating plant formed from the numeral 6 of the year "1863", which is meant to symbolise the beginning of Finland's development into a true democracy. In the shape of a circle, "SUOMI" (the country's name in Finnish), a lion (Finland's heraldic animal) the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa and "FINLAND" (Finland, in Swedish, the second official language) and "2013" are depicted.

🔎		San Marino	13 Sep. 2013	500th anniversary of the death of Pinturicchio	20001 20002 20005	115,000	•
	Description : Bernardino di Betto di Biagio (∼1452‐1513), called Pinturicchio, was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. His graceful, colourful frescoes, richly ornamented, emphasise the decorative effect of painting. He was also involved in the painting of the Sistine Chapel in Rome from 1482. The commemorative coin for the 500th anniversary of his death shows a section of the fresco The 12‐year‐old Jesus among the Scribes from the Cappella Baglioni of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Spello, painted in 1501. "PINTURICCHIO" and the dates "1513" and "2013" are depicted at the top, the name of the issuing county "SAN MARINO" at the bottom, the signet "MOMONI" by the designer Claudia Momoni above, and the letter "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome on the left.

🔎		Belgium	18 Sep. 2013	100th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Meteorological Institute	20001 20002 20005	2,010,000	•
	Description : For the 100th anniversary of the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, Peter Denayer de Hofstade designed this commemorative coin. The motif shows the number "100" in the centre, the first zero of which encloses the institute's abbreviations "KMI" (Koninklijk Meteorologisch Instituut in Dutch and Königliches Meteorologisches Institut in German) and "IRM" (Institut royal météorologique in French), while the second zero represents the sun. Isobars, raindrops represented by parallel lines and (circular) snowflakes appear on the left. At the top is "2013" ‐ divided in the middle by a sunbeam ‐ below is the country abbreviation "BE" (Belgium). A cat the logo of mint master Bernard Gillard and 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 are depicted below the numeral 1 of the number 100.

🔎		Greece	01 Oct. 2013	100th anniversary of the union of Crete with Greece	20001 20002 20005	754,000	•
	Description : The coin, designed by Georgios Stamatopoulos, shows Cretan rebels surrounded by laurel branches with fruit in Theriso, a municipality near Chania, during the 1905 revolt against the Ottomans led by Eleftherios Venizelos. The Greek national flag on land there was embroidered with the motto "unification or death". The Treaty of London in 1913 made the island part of the Greek state. On the top left is "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" (Hellenic Republic) shown, on the right a palmette the mint mark of the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri and below the dates "1913‐2013". At the botton is a semicircular description of the occation of issue: "100 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΕΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ" (100 years since the unification of Crete with Greece).

🔎		Greece	01 Oct. 2013	2,400th Anniversary of the founding of Plato’s Academy	20001 20002 20005	754,000	•
	Description : The School of Philosophy founded by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (∼428‐348 BC) in the grove of the Attic hero Akademos in north‐western Athens, called the Akademeia, existed for almost a millennium until Justinian I prohibited teaching in 529. Its teachings were passed on to medieval Europe via the Arab world. The coin, designed by Georgios Stamatopoulos, shows the head of Plato's bronze statue, created by Silanion and preserved in Roman copies, which was placed in the Academy after his death. The left‐hand side shows the occasion of issue "2400 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΙΔΡΥΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΚΑΔΗΜΙΑΣ ΠΛΑΤΩΝΟΣ" (2400 years since the founding of the Plato Academy) and "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" (Hellenic Republic), the right‐hand side shows a palmette the mint mark of the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri and the year of issue "2013".

🔎		Vatican City	15 Oct. 2013	28th World Youth Day ‐ Rio de Janeiro	20001 20002 20005	115,000	•
	Description : The coin designed by Patrizio Daniele celebrates the XXVIII World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, has as its central motif five cheering young people in front of the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado mountain. The 30‐metre high statue was built between 1922 and 1931 and designed by Heitor da Silva Costa and Paul Landowski. Above th motif is the issuing country, "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City), to the left is the reason for commemoration "XXVIII G.M.G." (Giornata Mondiale della Gioventu, World Youth Day) and "Rio • 2013" is on the right. The coin was produced by the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, whose mint mark "R" is on the left and underneath this is "P.DANIELE" the logo of the designer. On the left are the initials "m INC." (INC. = incisore / engraver) of the engraver Roberto Mauri.

🔎		Luxembourg	16 Oct. 2013	National Anthem of the Grand Duchy 11th coin of the Grand-Ducal Dynasty series	20001 20002 20005	522,000	•
	Description : The coin design, based on a design concept by the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg - BCL (Luxembourg Central Bank), shows the effigy of Grand Duke Henri on the right, and the notes and text of the first verse of the Luxembourg national anthem on the left: "Wou d’Uelzecht durech d’Wisen zéit, duerch d’Fielsen d’Sauer brécht, wou d’Rief laanscht d’Musel dofteg bléit, den Himmel Wäin ons mecht: Dat ass onst Land, fir dat mer géif heinidden alles won, onst Heemechtsland dat mir sou déif an onsen Hierzer dron. Onst Heemechtsland dat mir sou déif an onsen Hierzer dron" (Where the Alzette runs through the meadows, the Sauer breaks through the rocks, the vine blossoms along the Moselle, the sky promises wine: There is the land for whose honour no sacrifice is too hard for us, the homeland that rests as a dear possession in our hearts). The name of the hymn Ons Heemecht (Our Homeland) is shown above, the name of the issuing country "LËTZEBUERG" (Luxembourg) below and below that the year of issue "2013", the latter flanked on the right by a staff of Hermes 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.

🔎		Finland	04 Nov. 2013	125th anniversary of the birth of Nobel Prize-winning author Frans Eemil Sillanpää	20001 20002 20005	1,500,000	•
	Description : The commemorative coin, designed by Reijo Juhani Paavilainen and Pekka Rytkönen from a photograph, commemorates the 125th birthday of the Finnish writer Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888‐1964) who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1939 ‐ for his deep understanding of the peasant population of his country and the exquisite art with which he portrayed their way of life and their relationship with nature ‐ especially in his novels Miehen tie (One Man's Way) and Nuorena nukkunut (Silja, the Maid). He was a master of a particular style through which deep insights into the relationship between man and nature found their way into Finnish literature. Among his compatriots, this master storyteller was especially known for his popular radio broadcasts and unforgettable Christmas columns. After the war years, Sillanpää evolved into the long‐bearded "Taata", the country's unofficial grandfather. His childhood Christmas memories gave rise to a popular tradition: at Christmastime, "Taata" would gather the entire nation in front of the radio, listening spellbound to his light‐hearted Christmas tales. His name "F.E.SILLANPÄÄ" is shown above, his year of birth "1888" on the left and his year of death "1964" on the right. The year of issue "2013" is shown vertically at the top right, at the bottom left is a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa, at the bottom right the country abbreviation "FI" (Finland).

🔎		Netherlands	25 Nov. 2013	200th anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands	20001 20002 20004 20005	3,538,000	•
	Description : The coin, designed by Roosje Klap and Claudia Linders, shows the silhouettes of the six former kings of the Netherlands and the current monarch, Willem‐Alexander. The silhouettes, which are intertwined in chronological order from back to front, correspond to the images of the regents on earlier circulation coins. The way the heads are facing, to the right or left, alternates with each change of throne. Around the outside of the motif is the name and title of the reigning monarch "WILLEM‐ALEXANDER KONING OF THE NETHERLANDS" (Willem‐Alexander King of the Netherlands) and the reason for this issue "200 JAAR KONINKRIJK" (200 anniversary of the kingdom). At the bottom of the motif is the date "2013" and to the left of it the initials of the two designers, a mirror‐inverted "RK" in front of "CL", to the right of the date are the sails of the three‐mast clipper Nederland the logo of the mint master Maarten Brouwer and the staff of Hermes as mint mark of the Royal Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht. The Royal Dutch Mint had 1,500 coins produced in the proof process with an orange coloured band forming the outline of King Willem‐Alexander (see picture).

⇓ 2014 ⇓

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