C o m m e m o r a t i v e   C o i n s 
 
 
⇑ 2015 ⇑
2016
Image Country Date Feature Ref. Volume  
 
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Austria 02 Dec. 2015 200th anniversary of the foundation of Austria's central bank
"Oesterreichische Nationalbank"
20001
20002
20005
16,060,000  
 

 

Description : The motif, designed by Herbert Wähner, depicts two gods from Roman mythology, which appear on the stone relief above the entrance to the main building of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB). On the coin superimposed on an illustration of the main building of the OeNB, designed by the architect Leopold Bauerstone are the two Roman Gods. On the left Mercury, who was the messenger of the gods and god of merchants and trade with his attribute, the staff of Mercury, and on the right Fortuna, the goddess of fate and prosperity, depicted with a horn of plenty. A band runs along the lower edge of the coin's inner part, which is intended to refer to the red‐white‐red design of the Austrian flag. According to the heraldic rules of tincture, vertical hatching symbolises the colour red, but not the depicted radial orientation of the hatching. The years "1816" and "2016" to the left of Mercury refer to the year the OeNB was founded and its bicentenary. At the top it says "REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH" (Republic of Austria), below in a semicircle "200 JAHRE OESTERREICHISCHE NATIONALBANK" (200 years of Austrian National Bank). The coin was minted without a mint mark by the Austrian Mint Münze Österreich AG in Vienna.
 
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Estonia 07 Jan. 2016 100th birthday of chess grandmaster Paul Keres 20001
20002
20005
500,000  
 

 

Description : Paul Keres (1916‐1975), the Estonian chess master, was awarded the title "International Grand Master" in 1950. Estonia's first national €2 commemorative coin, designed by Riho Luuse, shows him in profile, with two chess squares and four pieces ‐ (from left to right) pawn, king, knight and rook ‐ the latter three of which are both embossed in relief and (upside down) recessed as a "inside out" form. Top left of the coin in a semi circle is the name "PAUL KERES" together with the name of the issuing country "EESTI" (Estonia) and the year of issue "2016" below it. The coin was produced without mint marks by the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.
 
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Ireland 20 Jan. 2016 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland 20001
20002
20005
4,500,000  
 

 

Description : The Easter Rising of 1916 (Irish: Éirí Amach na Cásca) was an attempt by militant Irish republicans to force Ireland's independence from the United Kingdom. Although militarily unsuccessful, it is considered a turning point in Ireland's history, which ‐ after the War of Independence 1919‐1921 ‐ ultimately led to independence. The first national Irish 2‐euro commemorative coin, designed by Emmet Mullins shows the portico of Dublin's main post office, completed in 1818, with the statue of Hibernia, an Irish symbol, above it sculpted by John Smyth (∼1773‐1840). The capture of the Post Office in 1916 triggered the Easter Rising. The name of the statue is derived from the ancient Greek name for the island, is considered a witness to the events of 1916 as well as a symbol of the country's development based on the ideals of Patrick Pearse's Proclamation for the next hundred years. Its gaze is directed towards the future; it is also a symbol of the country's past, present and future. At the top of the coin is the word "HIBERNIA", in majuscules script similar to that in the historic Book of Kells. The sun's rays symbolise the Revolt and the Proclamation, which mark the beginning of the development of a new nation and republic. Either side of the statue are the years "1916" and "2016", at the bottom of the coin is the name of the issuing country "ÉIRE" (Ireland) and below it the year of issue "2016". The coin was minted without mint marks by the Irish mint Lárionad Airgeadra an Bhainc Ceannais / Central Bank Currency Centre in Áth an Ghainimh / Sandyford. Coins minted in the proof production process were made by the Austrian mint Münze Österreich AG in Vienna.
 
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Germany 05 Feb. 2016 Saxony (Zwinger Palace in Dresden)
11th coin in the Federal States series
20001
20002
20005
30,677,600  
 

 

Description : The coin designed by Jordi Truxa depicts the inner courtyard of the Zwinger in Dresden with a view of the crown gate. On the spire of the onion‐shaped dome, four eagles bear the replica of the Polish royal crown ‐ the crown gate glorifies the Polish royal office of Augustus the Strong as a fruitful government. The niche figures on the courtyard side show on the left Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, fertility and marriage, created by Balthasar Permoser around 1715 to symbolise summer, and on the right Pomona, the Roman goddess of tree fruits, who embodies autumn allegories. The year of issue "2016" is shown on the top left, 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 the initials "JT" of the coin designer are shown on the top right, the country abbreviation "D" (for Deutschland / Germany) and the name of the federal state "SACHSEN" (Saxony) are shown bottom centre.
 
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France 05 Feb. 2016 2016 UEFA European Football Championship 20001
20002
20005
10,020,500  
 

 

Description : Called the "Euro", the European Men's Football Championship, which has been held every four years since 1960, was held in France from the 10th of June to the 10th of July 2016. The winning team received a miniature version of the trophy named after the competition's initiator, Henri Delaunay. The coin, designed by Miguel Viana, shows this Henri Delaunay Cup with the three‐line inscription "UEFA European Football Championship" superimposed on a stylised outline of France. On the left of the coin is a cornucopia, the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac and on the right a pentagon, the logo of mint master Yves Sampo. In the centre on the right are the letters "RF" for République française (French Republic), and at the top the name of the competition "UEFA EURO 2016 FRANCE". At the bottom a football is depicted. Around the outside of the motif some graphic elements symbolising the sporting competition, others the cultural nation of France (with the art movements Pontillism, Art déco and Art brut that originated there); the hexagons (jokingly) imitating the country shape stand for the host country France.
 
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Spain 05 Feb. 2016 Old town of Segovia and its aqueduct
7th coin in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites series
20001
20002
20005
3,400,000  
 

 

Description : The old town of Segovia has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, as has the aqueduct, commissioned by the Roman Emperor Domitian and completed under Trajan in 98 AD. With a length of 728 m and 118 arches up to 28 m high, it is considered the best preserved testimony to Roman architecture on the Iberian Peninsula. Until 1974 it supplied the city with water from springs of the Rio Frio, which flows 17 km south of the city. In the centre of the motif designed by Alfonso Morales Muñoz is the patron saint of Segovia, the Virgin of Fuencisla. Bernard of Clairvaux gave Mary the title "Aqueduct of God" in the 12th century. The sculpture of Mary with the Child Jesus was added to the aqueduct in the 16th century, after the reconstruction of 36 arches carried out during the reign of Catholic Monarchs. At the top of the motif forming an arch are the words "ESPAÑA" (Spain) the coin issuing country, below it the year of issue "2016" and to the right of it the letter "M" adorned with a crown, the mint mark of the Spanish mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid.
 
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Slovakia 07 Mar. 2016 Celebrating the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union 20001
20002
20005
1,000,000  
 

 

Description : The central design includes the coat of arms of the Slovak Republic (Byzantine double cross on a trimount) against a background of fan‐shaped curved lines running towards the centre ‐ similar to the blades of a turbine. The motif symbolises the position and importance of Slovakia during its Presidency of the EU Council. The year "2016" can be read to the right of the national emblem of the Slovak Republic. The country name "SLOVENSKO" (Slovakia) and the occasion "PREDSEDNÍCTVO SR V RADE EÚ" (Slovak EU Presidency) are inscribed around the outside of the central design. The mintmark "MK" between two embossing stamps of the Slovak mint Mincovňa Kremnica š.p. in Kremnica, and the square framed ligated initials "VP" of the coin designer Vladimír Pavlica are at the bottom of the design. Out of the total circulation of 1 million, 1000 copies were minted in the proof production process exclusively for representative purposes as part of the Council Presidency.
 
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Belgium 24 Mar. 2016 Olympic Summer Games 2016 - Team Belgium 20001
20002
20005
375,000  
 

 

Description : The coin, designed by Luc Luycx, shows a stylised figure with outstretched arms, the five Olympic rings and the inscription "TEAM BELGIUM". It is dedicated to Belgium's participation in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. On the left, written vertically, is "2016", on the right the country abbreviation "BE" (Belgium) between 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 a cat the logo of mint master Bernard Gillard. The coin was not issued in rolls, only in coincards and in annual coin sets.
 
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San Marino 05 Apl. 2016 550 years since the death of Donatello 20001
20002
20005
87,400  
 

 

Description : Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (∼1386‐1466), called Donatello, was an Italian sculptor of the Florentine Renaissance. The coin, designed by Matt Bonaccorsi, shows the face of the bronze statue of David created around 1440 by the Italian sculptor of the Florentine Renaissance for Cosimo de' Medici. The latter is youthful, radiating harmonious grace and playful lightness, depicted wearing a laurel‐crowned hat and playfully placing his foot on the head of Goliath. It is the earliest free‐standing nude figure since antiquity, now in the Bargello Museum in Florence. On the right of the pill, from top to bottom, are the letter "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, "SAN MARINO", "DONATELLO", the dates "1466-2016" and the initials "MB" of the designer.
 
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Finland 25 Apl. 2016 90th anniversary of the death of Eino Leino 20001
20002
20005
1,000,000  
 

 

Description : On the 90th anniversary of the death of Eino Leino (1878‐1926), the Finnish writer and lyricist of the literary neo‐Romantic period, Pertti Mäkinen designed his left‐facing profile from a flame, a frequent subject in Leino's works. Next to it is a poker pointing upwards to the right, the year of issue "2016" and the signature "Eino Leino" on the right. The country abbreviation "FI" (Finland) and a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) appear at the bottom left the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa.
 
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Italy 29 Apl. 2016 550 years since the death of Donatello 20001
20002
20005
1,500,000  
 

 

Description : The coin designed by Claudia Momoni for the 550th anniversary of the death of the Italian sculptor of the Florentine Renaissance Donatello (∼1386‐1466) shows in profile the face of the bronze statue of David created around 1440 for Cosimo de' Medici, the earliest free‐standing nude figure since antiquity, today in the Bargello Museum in Florence. David is youthful, radiating harmonious grace and playful lightness, depicted wearing a laurel‐crowned hat and playfully placing his foot on the head of Goliath. The inscription "DONATELLO" is at the bottom, his year of death "1466" and the year of issue "2016" are shown in two lines on the left, with the country abbreviation "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) above them. At the top is the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome and on the right the designer's signet "C.M.".
 
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Lithuania 03 May 2016 Baltic Culture 20001
20002
20005
1,000,000  
 

 

Description : In 1860‐1881 in Juodkrantė on the Curonian Spit the largest archaeological amber discovery in the world was made, but was largely lost during the Second World War. The coin motif designed by Jolanta Mikulskytė and the pre‐production plaster model was created by Giedrius Paulauskis. It shows a 5000 year old Neolithic amber disk, one of the characteristic symbols of the Baltic culture. The disc is decorated with a cross of drilled imprints ‐ representing the axis of the earth. At the top is the name of the issuing country "LIETUVA" (Lithuania), flanked on the left by the circular mint mark "LMK" of the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius and to the right the year of issue "2016".
 
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Portugal 03 May 2016 Portuguese athletes participation in the
Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
20001
20002
20005
530,000  
 

 

Description : The motif consists of an image of the Viana heart created in 2008 by artist Joana Vasconcelos, which is based on the traditional jewellery art of the region around Viana do Castelo in northern Portugal. It is meant to symbolise the spirit of determination and passion that characterises the Portuguese people and especially athletes who will represent them at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. At the bottom right is the logo of the Portuguese Olympic Committee, representing the Olympic rings and the cross of the paw borrowed from the Order of Christ. On the right edge of the pill is "EQUIPA OLİMPICA DE PORTUGAL 2016" (Portuguese Olympic Team 2016), on the left "JOANA VASCONCELOS". At the bottom is the "INCM" the mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon.
 
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Luxembourg 06 May 2016 The 50th anniversary of the "Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge"
16th coin of the Grand-Ducal Dynasty series
20001
20002
20005
517,500  
 

 

Description : The coin motif, designed by Herbert Wähner, shows the bridge named after Grand Duchess Charlotte, the main transport link between Luxembourg's city centre and the Kirchberg plateau, where the institutions of the European Union are located. Built according to plans by Egon Jux, the structure, called Groussherzogin‐Charlotte‐Bréck or Rout Bréck (Red Bridge) in Luxembourgish, spans the Alzette at a height of 74 metres. The bridge illustration shows the French name "Pont Grande‐Duchesse Charlotte" (Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge), below it the year "1966" as the year of inauguration and below that the name of the issuing country "LUXEMBOURG" (Luxembourg in French). At the top Grand Duke Henri is depicted in half‐profile and to the left of him the year of issue "2016". Above is a staff of Hermes the mint mark of the Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht and below it the sails of the three‐masted clipper Nederland the logo of mint master Maarten Brouwer. Coins manufactured in the Proof minting process and issued in the Proof set 2016‐18 feature the national mint mark, the Luxembourg lion with double tail, above "2016" and below the Servaasbrug (Sint Servaas Bridge in Maastricht) the logo of mint master Stephan Satijn.
 
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Italy 16 May 2016 2200th anniversary of the death of Titus Maccius Plautus 20001
20002
20005
1,500,000  
 

 

Description : Plautus (∼254‐184 BC) was one of the first and most prolific comedy poets in ancient Rome. The motif shows theatre masks from a mosaic created around 100 BC, today in the Capitoline Museums. They depict two characters from the New Comedy, the young woman and the slave ‐ with a corona of vines ‐ whose bacchanalian features evoke associations with Dionysus, the god of ecstasy, intoxication, transformation and wine. Above this is a semi‐circular stylised representation of a theatre of Roman antiquity and the ligature "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) as the country's abbreviation. Below are the name "PLAUTO" and above it the year of his death "184 A.C." (184 BC) and the year of issue "2016". On the left is the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome and on the right the signet "LDS" of the medallist Luciana De Simoni.
 
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Belgium 25 May 2016 International Missing Children's Day 20001
20002
20005
1,020,000  
 

 

Description : The "Child Focus Foundation" for missing and sexually exploited children was founded by Jean‐Denis Lejeune in June 1996, one year after the abduction of his eight year old daughter Julie and her friend Mélissa Russo by sex offender Marc Dutroux. Both girls starved to death, locked up while Dutroux was imprisoned. The coin designed by Luc Luycx shows the face of Liam Vanden Branden, a child who disappeared without trace in 1996. In the form of an arc, the bottom left‐hand corner reads "MISSING ‐ DISPARU ‐ VERMIST" (missing in English, French and Dutch), at the bottom the Foundation's web address "WWW.CHILDFOCUS.BE" and at the top "BELGIQUE ‐ BELGIE ‐ BELGIEN" (Belgium in French, Dutch and German), followed by the year of issue "2016". 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 a cat the logo of the mint master Bernard Gillard are depicted on the left and right of the motif, respectively.
 
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Monaco 01 Jun. 2016 150th anniversary of the founding of Monte-Carlo by Charles III. 20001
20002
20005
15,000  
 

 

Description : Charles III initiated the construction of the casino, which opened in 1863, on a rocky spur known as the "Plateau des Spélugues" (Grottoes' Plain), renamed the "Quartier de Monte Carlo" in 1866. The casino, which flourished after the construction of the adjacent "Hôtel de Paris" and the rail link to Nice, covered Monaco's national budget for several decades. Charles III is depicted after a painting by François‐Auguste Biards, now in the throne room of the Princely Palace in Monaco, in front of Monte Carlo, which at that time was almost exclusively built with the casino and the "Hôtel de Paris", and the horizon of the sea. The inscription "1866 ♦ CHARLES III FONDE MONTE CARLO ♦ 2016" (1866 ♦ Founder of Monte Carlo by Charles III ♦ 2016) runs along the lower edge of the pill. Above is the issuing state "MONACO", flanked by a cornucopia as a sign of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac and a pentagon as the mint master's mark Yves Sampos. The coin design originates from the Atelier de Gravures of the Monnaie de Paris.
 
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Vatican City 02 Jun. 2016 200th anniversary of the Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State 20001
20002
20005
98,000  
 

 

Description : The coin, designed by Daniela Longo to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Gendarmerie Corps, shows a gendarme in front of the dome and the facade of St. Peter's, designed by Carlo Maderno and completed in 1614. On the balustrade you can see (from left to right) the statues of James the Elder, John the Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth and the apostles Andrew, John and James the Younger. At the top of the motif in a semi circle are the words "CORPO DELLA GENDARMERIA" (Gendarmerie Corps) and the dates "1816•2016" and at the bottom the words "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City). To the left of the mitif is the initial "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome and below it the initial "SP INC." (INC. = Incisore / engraver) of the engraver Silvia Petrassi, and on the right the logo "D. Longo" of the designer.
 
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Slovenia 20 Jun. 2016 25th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Slovenia 20001
20002
20005
1,000,000  
 

 

Description : The coin designed by Jerney Kejžar depicts an extract from the Slovenian national anthem Zdravljica, in the manuscript of the poet France Prešeren (1800‐1849), under the words "25 LET" (25 years) and "REPUBLIKA SLOVENIA" (Republic of Slovenia) with the words "dočákat' dan" (wait for the day). The year of issue "2016" is given below. The coin was made without mintmarks by the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome.
 
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Latvia 19 Jul. 2016 Latvian agriculture industry 20001
20002
20005
1,010,000  
 

 

Description : The coin designed by Gunārs Lūsis, whose plaster model Jānis Strupulis made, shows a cow, a Latvian brown, which is a symbol of Latvian dairy farming in folklore and everyday life. There were already a 2‐lats coins with this design before the introduction of the euro. The pill shows the year of issue "2016" and the name of the issuing country "LATVIJA" (Latvia). The coin was minted without mintmarks by the Lithuanian mints Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.
 
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Portugal 19 Jul. 2016 50 years of the first bridge uniting the two riverbanks of the Teja River 20001
20002
20005
520,000  
 

 

Description : The coin shows the central section of the 25th of April Bridge, which first connected the banks of the Tagus in Lisbon. Under the name of the leader of the dictatorship of the so‐called Estado Nova, António de Oliveira Salazar, it was inaugurated in 1966 as the "Salazar Bridge", but renamed "Ponte 25 de Abril" after the Carnation Revolution of 25th April 1974. The 2278 m long suspension bridge spans the mouth of the Tagus, the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula (1000 km), into the Atlantic Ocean. The height of the roadways of the double‐decker bridge above the water is 70 m. At the top right, the lettering "PORTUGAL" and ‐ as in the coat of arms of Portugal ‐ the coat of arms shield are depicted on an armillary sphere. At the bottom right, "PONTE", "25 DE ABRIL", "1966 and "2016" can be read below each other. The lower edge of the pill shows "INCM", the mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon, and "JOSÉ AURÉLIO", the name of the designer.
 
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Malta 22 Aug. 2016 Ġgantija Temples
1st coin of the Maltese Prehistoric Sites series
20001
20002
20005
410,000  
 

 

Description : The coin is dedicated to the temple complex of Ġgantija, located on the island of Gozo in the archipelago of Malta. Formed by megalithic temples from the Neolithic Age, it is one of the oldest free‐standing structures and one of the oldest religious buildings in the world. The temple complex was built around 3800 BC (the northern temple depicted as a coin motif is about 200 years younger) and is therefore older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. At the top is "ĠGANTIJA TEMPLES" and the year "3600‐3200 BC", right the signet "NGB" of the designer Noel Galea Bason. At the bottom left is the country of issue "MALTA" and below it the year of issue "2016". The coin was minted without a mint mark by the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac; on Coincard specimens, the year is flanked on the left by a cornucopia as their mint mark, while on the right a pentagon represents the mint master's mark Yves Sampos. Coin sets in circulation coin sets bear an "F" (for France) in the 6 o'clock star.
 
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France 12 Sep. 2016 François Mitterand 20001
20002
20005
10,020,000  
 

 

Description : The issue celebrates the 100th birthday and the 20th anniversary of the death of François Mitterand (1916‐1996), French President 1981‐1995. Joaquin Jimenez designed the coin after a photograph taken in 1984. On the right of the coin is a tree copied from the President's coat of arms, bearing oak leaves on the left and olive tree leaves on the right. The crown of the tree is emblazoned with an acorn on the left and an olive on the right. On the left is the year of birth "1916" and the year of issue, "2016". At the top in a semi circle is the name "FRANÇOIS MITTERAND". At the bottom the abbreviation of the issuing country "RF" (République française, French Republic), on the right is a cornucopia the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac together with a pentagon, the logo of mint master Yves Sampo.
 
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San Marino 22 Sep. 2016 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare 20001
20002
20005
82,400  
 

 

Description : William Shakespeare (1564‐1616) was an English playwright, lyricist and actor whose comedies and tragedies are among the most important stage plays in world literature. He had an extensive vocabulary ‐ almost 18,000 different words are counted in his works. Characteristic of Shakespeare is his stylistic diversity, mastering all levels of language from the lowest gutter language to the highest court language. He is depicted after the portrait by Martin Droeshout published in 1623. On the left is the inscription "William Shakespeare" in a semicircle, on the right are the dates "1616‐2016" and the name of the issuing country "San Marino". On the bottom left is the letter "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, on the right the signet "MB" of the coin designer Matt Bonaccorsi.
 
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Vatican City 13 Oct. 2016 Jubilee of Mercy 20001
20002
20005
98,000  
 

 

Description : The design of the coin commemorating the Holy Year of Mercy is by Mariangela Crisciotti and shows Martin of Tours (316‐397), a soldier of the Roman Imperial Guard from 331 to 356. He is depicted on horseback with his cloak and sword, out of kindness he gives half of his cloak to an almost naked and freezing poor man whom he met at the city gate of Amiens. The following night, Jesus Christ is said to have appeared to Martin in a dream, clothed with that half cloak. He was baptised in 351 and after being appointed bishop of Tours in 371, he founded the monastery of Marmoutier. King Clovis of the Franks promoted Martin to the status of national saint and patron of the Franco‐Merovingian kings. To the left of the motif is the reason for commemoration "GIUBILEO DELLA MISERCORDIA" (Jubilee of Mercy) and on the right "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City) and the year of issue "2016". Below is the initial "R" the mint mark of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome together with the logos "M. CRISCIOTTI" of the coin designer and "MOMONI INC." (INC. = incisore / engraver) of the engraver Claudia Momoni.
 
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Finland 17 Oct. 2016 100th birthday of philosopher Georg Henrik von Wright 20001
20002
20005
1,000,000  
 

 

Description : Georg Hendrik von Wright (1916‐2003), Finnish‐Swedish philosopher and logician (of Scottish ancestry), executor of Ludwig Wittgenstein's estate, created a system of deontic logic. The coin, designed by Nora Tapper, shows an ancient Doric column on the right, symbolising Wrights early ideals (who visited Paestum in 1937), the universal man. The oak branch, symbol of wisdom, dignity and strength, represents the philosopher's personality, the number of oak leaves is supposed to represent the three disciplines to which the philosopher devoted himself: Theoretical Philosophy, Social and Moral Philosophy and Cultural Philosophy. The lettering "GEORG HENRIK VON WRIGHT" runs in an arc from left to right. The year of issue "2016" appears at the top, to the left of which a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) is depicted the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa, as well as the country abbreviation "FI" (Finland).
 
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Latvia 15 Nov. 2016 Vidzeme (Livland)
1st coin of the Historical Regions series
20001
20002
20005
1,010,000  
 

 

Description : The coin, designed by Laimonis Šēnbergs, whose plaster model Jānis Strupulis made, is dedicated to Vidzeme (Central Livonia) and shows a griffin, a fantasy figure in heraldry with an eagle's upper body and a lion's abdomen in the coat of arms of the historical region of Latvia. Already in 1566 the coat of arms of the Duchy of Livonia (Pārdaugava) showed a griffin turned to the left (the griffin in the coat of arms of Latvia turns to the right). Above the coat of arms reads "LATVIJA" (Latvia) as the issuing state, below the coat of arms is the inscription "VIDZEME" (Livonia). The year of issue "2016" is indicated on the right side. The coin was minted without mintmarks by the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.
 
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Malta 05 Dec. 2016 Solidarity through Love
1st coin of the from children in solidarity series
20001
20002
20005
380,000  
 

 

Description : The coin is issued to commemorate the social significance of the "Malta Community Chest Fund", which has created the "For Children in Solidarity" programme for secondary school pupils. The programme focuses on the social role of children in five different areas, with the theme of "Solidarity through Love" in 2016. The coin motif was designed by Sarah Cilia. She depicts the theme by means of two hands forming a heart in which the flag of Malta can be seen. The right half is represented ‐ following the heraldic rules of tingierung ‐ by vertical hatching with the tincture red, and on the left the St George's Cross, symbol of St George and the Crusades, awarded in 1942 to the entire population of Malta for their bravery during the Italian and German air raids in World War II. The words "MALTA 2016" can be read below. Two stylised human figures are depicted on the left and right wrists. The coin was struck without a mint mark by the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac; in Coincard specimens, the name of the state is flanked on the left by a cornucopia as their mint mark, while a pentagon on the right of the date represents the mint master's mark Yves Sampos.
 
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Greece 16 Dec. 2016 150 years from the Arkadi Monastery Torching 20001
20002
20005
750,000  
 

 

Description : The monastery church of Arkadi was built in 1587 during the Venetian domination of Crete as a reconstruction of an earlier church. After the conquest of Crete by the Ottoman Empire, which was completed in 1669, the monks obtained permission to return to Arkadi after their subjugation. In 1760 there were 200,000 Muslims and 60,000 Christians living on Crete. In 1866 a revolutionary committee against the Ottoman occupation was formed in the monastery of Arkadi. On the 7th of November 1866, an Ottoman army of 15,000 men attacked the monastery, which was home to 964 people, including 325 men fit for battle. After two days of hopeless resistance, the besieged decided not to fall into the hands of the enemy alive and blew themselves up in the powder magazine. The tragedy caused an international sensation. After the Turkish‐Greek War, Crete gained autonomy in 1898, and in 1913 Crete finally became part of the Greek state. Around 50,000 Turks had to leave the island, and many Greeks from Asia Minor moved to Crete. The coin shows the west façade of the church and below it the inscription "ΜΟΝΗ ΑΡΚΑΔΙΟΥ" (Arkadi monastery). On the left is "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" (Hellenic Republic), on the right the year of issue "2016". Below is a palmette the mint mark of the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri. The signet "ΣΤΑΜ" of the coin designer Georgios Stamatopoulos appears on the lower right.
 
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Greece 16 Dec. 2016 120th birthday of Dimitri Mitropoulos 20001
20002
20005
750,000  
 

 

Description : The profile of the Greek conductor, composer and pianist Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896‐1960) is depicted against a background of ‐ upside down, sometimes reversed ‐ musical notes. The words "120 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΑΠΟ ΓΕΝΝΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ" (120th birthday of Dimitri Mitropoulos) and "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" (Hellenic Republic) appear in two lines on the left‐hand side of the inner edge of the coin. In the upper left‐hand corner, the year of issue "2016" and a palmette the mint mark of the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri are shown. The collar of the musician shows the signet "ΣΤΑΜ" of the coin designer Georgios Stamatopoulos.
 
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Andorra 01 Jun. 2017 25th anniversary of Andorran Radio and Television 20001
20002
20005
85,000  
 

 

Description : The coin motif, designed by the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT) part of the Royal Mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid, shows a microphone and an antenna surrounded by four concentric lines. Around the outside of the motif are the words "25è ANIVERSARI DE RÀDIO I TELEVISIÓ D'ANDORRA" (25th anniversary of Andorran radio and television) and at the top of the coin the year of issue "2016" and the name of the issuing country "ANDORRA". The coin commemorates the 25th anniversary of the foundation of Public Radio and Television of Andorra ("RTVA") and thus the beginning of the broadcasting in Andorra. Andorran coins will be minted alternately in the countries of the Princes of Andorra; in 2016 it was the turn of the Royal Mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid. Due to organisational problems the coin could not be issued until 2017.
 
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Andorra 01 Jun. 2017 150th anniversary of the New Reform 1866 20001
20002
20005
85,000  
 

 

Description : This coin commemorates the reform decree initiated by Guillem d'Areny Plandolit (1822‐1876), which enabled the former aristocratic oligarchy to be replaced by the "General Council of the Valleys" in 1866. This was one of the most important milestones in the country's history, which heralded a social and political change in the Principality of Andorra. The coin motif, designed by the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT) part of the Royal Mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid, shows the main hall of the Andorran Parliament Casa de la Vall and above it the lettering "150 ANYS DE LA NOVA REFORMA DE 1866" (150th anniversary of the New Reform of 1866), the year of issue "2016" is below it and the name of the issuing country "ANDORRA" at the bottom of the coin. Andorran coins are minted alternately in the countries of the Princes of Andorra; in 2016 it was the turn of the Royal Mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid. Due to organisational problems the coin could not be issued until 2017.
⇓ 2017 ⇓
 
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