2 Euro commemorative coins

2 Euro

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

⇑ 2016 ⇑
2017
Image	Country		Date	Feature	Ref.	Volume
🔎		Luxembourg	02 Jan. 2017	The 50th anniversary of the voluntariness of the Luxembourg army 17th coin of the Grand-Ducal Dynasty series	20001 20002 20005	316,000	•
	Description : The organisation of the Luxembourg Armed Forces is based on the law of 29th of June 1967. Luxembourg does not have its own air force, but it cooperates closely with its neighbour Belgium in terms of security policy. The Luxembourg army is integrated into NATO. Military service is voluntary, but it facilitates access to a career in the civil service (e.g. police or customs). The coin design, based on a concept of the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg - BCL (Luxembourg Central Bank), shows Grand Duke Henri in profile on the right, and on the left the occasion of issue "50 JOER FRAĪWËLLEGEN‐ARMÉI" (50 Years of the Volunteer Army) is mentioned in three lines, with the insignia of the Volunteer Army depicted in the letter "O", two crossed swords behind the laurel‐wreathed coat of arms of Luxembourg with the Luxembourg lion with double tail in the escutcheon. Below is the country name "LËTZEBUERG" (Luxembourg), above the year of issue "2017", 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. 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, to the right of "2016" and to the left of it the Servaasbrug (Sint‐Servaas Bridge in Maastricht) the logo of mint master Stephan Satijn.

🔎		Slovakia	04 Jan. 2017	550th anniversary of the start of teaching at the Universitas Istropolitana	20001 20002 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : Matthias Corvinus (1443‐1490) was king of Hungary and Croatia 1458‐1490, 1469‐1490 king of Bohemia and conqueror of large parts of the Habsburg hereditary lands (which he ruled from Vienna 1485‐1490). In 1465 he founded the Universitas Istropolitana in Pressburg, where teaching started in 1467. Johann Vitez, the rector of the university, appointed many famous lecturers from Austria, Italy and Poland, among them Galeotto Marzio and Regiomontanus. The university was closed down in 1490 after Corvinus' death, due to lack of financial support. Today's successor institution is the Comenius University of Bratislava. The commemorative coin depicts the facade of the university, which today houses the University of Performing Arts Bratislava, and in front of it a professor and two students facing him. The impression at the top left depicts Matthias Corvinius taken from a chronicle written by Johannes de Thurocz (∼1435‐1489), holding an orb crowned by a trefly cross. Next to it is the year of formation "1467". Below is "SLOVENSKO" (Slovakia) and the year of issue "2017", on the left "UNIVERZITA" and on the top right "ISTROPOLITANA". The lower left‐hand side shows the mintmark "MK" between two embossing stamps of the Slovak mint Mincovňa Kremnica š.p. in Kremnica and the abbreviated initials "MP" of the coin designer Mária Poldaufová.

🔎		Slovenia	02 Feb. 2017	10th anniversary of the adoption of the Euro in Slovenia	20001 20002 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : The coin motif designed by Matej Ramšak shows ten flying swallows forming a circle. Swallows are considered to be a good omen because of their return from bird migration in spring. At the bottom is a semi‐circle with the words "10 LET SKUPNE EVROPSKE VALUTE" (10 years of European currency) and "SLOVENIJA 2017" (Slovenia 2017) at the top. The coin was minted without mintmark by the Slovak mint Mincovňa Kremnica š.p. in Kremnica.

🔎		Germany	03 Feb. 2017	Rhineland‐Palatinate (Porta Nigra in Trier) 12th coin in the Federal States series	20001 20002 20005	30,616,300	•
	Description : The Porta Nigra, built around 180 A.D. as the town gate of the Roman town of Augusta Treverorum, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Trier since 1986 as the best preserved Roman town gate north of the Alps. Due to financial constraints, the construction, which was begun under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, was never finally completed. At the bottom of the motif is the name of the federal state "RHEINLAND-PFALZ" (Rhineland‐Palatinate) and the country abbreviation "D" (for Deutschland / Germany). To the middle left 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 top of the motif the year of issue "2017". On the right are the initials "CH" of the coin designer František Chochola.

🔎		France	03 Feb. 2017	Centenary of the death of Auguste Rodin	20001 20002 20005	10,020,500	•
	Description : The coin designed by Joaquin Jimenez pays tribute to the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840‐1917), one of the most important representatives of realism. The Thinker, The Kiss, The Gates of Hell and The Burghers of Calais are among the timeless sculpture masterpieces. The coin motif shows Auguste Rodin, to a certain extent, forehead to forehead with his most famous work, The Thinker, created in 1880‐1882. The artist's beard bears his name "A. Rodin" and the centenary years "1917‐2017". At the top of the motif is the abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic), to the left is a cornucopia the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac and on the right by a pentagon, the logo of mint master Yves Sampo. At the bottom is the designer's logo.

🔎		Spain	03 Feb. 2017	Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of Austurias (Santa Maria del Naranco) 8th coin in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites series	20001 20002 20005	536,520	•
	Description : Santa Maria del Naranco is a pre‐Romanesque building at the foot of Monte Naranco, near Oviedo, the capital of Asturias. It was built in the middle of the 9th century under the Asturian King Ramiro I (842‐850) as the belvedere of a complex of palaces and was later consecrated as a church. The coin motif shows the eastern facade with its loggia containing the altar and the northern facade with staircase. In 1985, the churches of Santa Maria del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo, San Julián de los Prados and Santa Christina de Lena (as monuments of Orviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias) were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Sites status. At the top of the motif forming an arch are the words "ESPAÑA" (Spain) the coin issuing country and below it to the right is the year of issue "2017". of the motif is the letter "M" adorned with a crown, the mint mark of the Spanish mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid.

🔎		Italy	22 Mar. 2017	400th anniversary of the completion of the Basilica San Marco in Venice	20001 20002 20005	1,500,000	•
	Description : The coin, designed by Luciana De Simoni, shows the Basilica di San Marco, the central state sanctuary of the Republic of Venice and the Church of St Mark the Evangelist, the core of which was built in the 11th century and contains the largest mosaic cycle in the West. The west facade shown here is regarded as a symbol of the triumph over Constantinople in the Crusade of 1203/1204. In the second half of the 14th century, a phase of construction and decoration began which transformed the building in the spirit of Venetian Gothic. On the five arched spires of the west facade are the patron saints of Venice, (from left to right) Constantine, Demetrius, Mark, George and Theodore, as well as sculptures of the archangel Gabriel, the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Mary in the six tabernacles. In the pediment of the central arch is a golden relief of the striding lion of St Mark with a book, the inscription of which reads "Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista Meus" (Peace with you Mark, my Evangelist). The centre of the gallery on the upper floor bears replicas of the four horses of San Marco. Their originals, made of gilded cast copper and exhibited in the Museo Marciano since 1979, were originally parts of a quadriga on Emperor Nero's triumphal arch in Rome, which the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II had taken to Constantinople, from where they were brought to Venice as war booty on the orders of Doge Enrico Dandolo. In 1987, Venice and its lagoon were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the bottom is "SAN MARCO" and above it the ligature of the country name "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic), flanked on the left by "1617" the year of completion, and on the right by the year of issue "2017". At the top is "VENEZIA" (Venice) and below it the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. The signet "LDS" of the medallist appears at the bottom right.

🔎		San Marino	30 Mar. 2017	750th birthday of Giotto	20001 20002 20005	73,100	•
	Description : Giotto di Bondone (1267‐1337) was a Florentine painter and architect of the late Middle Ages whose work, captivating in its naturalness and spatiality, was groundbreaking for the Italian Renaissance (Rinascimento). The fresco cycle in the Cappella degli Scrovegni all' Arena in Padua, painted between 1304 and 1306, is considered his main work. As the leading master builder, he designed the bell tower of Florence Cathedral. The coin, designed by Luciana de Simoni, shows on the left side in vertical arrangement the dates "1267 ✵ 2017" and the name "GIOTTO" the Campanile di Giotto, the name of the issuing country "SAN MARINO". The right side of the pill is filled with a portrait of Giotto by Paolo Uccello (1397‐1475), now in the Louvre in Paris. At the bottom is the letter "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome and on the right the designer's signet "LDS".

🔎		Belgium	21 Apr. 2017	200 years University of Liège	20001 20002 20005	200,000	•
	Description : The motif depicts the emblem of the University of Liège with the year "1817" and "2017", surrounded in a circle by the inscription "200 ANS UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE ‐ 200 YEARS UNIVERSITY OF LIEGE". Below is the country abbreviation "BE" (Belgium) flanked 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 the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele the logo of the mint master Ingrid Van Herzele. The campus of the university, founded at the time of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands under King William I, is located in Sart Tilman, on a wooded hill in the south of Liège, formerly owned by the Benedictine monasteries of St James and St Laurence, Abbaye Saint‐Jacques and Abbaye Saint‐Laurent, founded at the beginning of the 11th century and existing until around 1800. The coat of arms, designed for the 150th anniversary of the University in 1967, shows, under a crown and above the inscription "Universitas Leodiensis" (Liège University in Latin), the iconographic attributes of St Lawrence (a grate, the instrument of torture) and St James (scallops), as well as the coat of arms of the city of Liège. The latter depicts three lions under a column carrying a pine cone.

🔎		Malta	31 May 2017	Tempel of Ħaġar Qim 2nd coin of the Maltese Prehistoric Sites series	20001 20002 20005	405,000	•
	Description : The coin is dedicated to the prehistoric temple complex of Ħaġar Qim, south of Qrendi, created between 3600 and 3200 BC. Only 500 m away is the cult place Mnajdra. Thousands of years ago, this was the only flat coastal strip on the southwest coast of Malta due to the low water level. The bays provided moorings for water vehicles and allowed the ascent to the temple terrace. Shown here is the south‐east facade of the South Temple with bank altars and the entrance to the Old Temple (right). In 1992 Ħaġar Qim, together with the other Bronze Age temples in Malta, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the Megalithic Temples of Malta. In the upper right‐hand corner, the inscriptions "ĦAĠAR QIM", "TEMPLES" and the dates "3600‐3200 BC" can be seen one below the other. At the bottom left is the name of the issuing country "MALTA" and below it the year of issue "2017". At the bottom right are the initials of coin designer Noel Galea Bason "NGB". The coin was struck 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.

🔎		Finland	01 Jun. 2017	100 years of independence	20001 20002 20005	2,500,000	•
	Description : The coin, designed by Simon Örnberg, shows a dot‐shaped mosaic with less closely set and less raised parts on the right indicating the outline of Finland. The vertically set two‐line text "SUOMI 1917" (Finland in Finnish, followed by the year of independence) and "FINLAND 2017" (Finland in Swedish, followed by the year of issue) are on the left. On the right, a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa and the country abbreviation "FI" (Finland) are shown below each other.

🔎		Vatican City	01 Jun. 2017	1950th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Peter and Saint Paul	20001 20002 20005	98,000	•
	Description : The central motif was designed by Gabriella Titotto who was inspired by classical iconography relating to the two apostles Simon Peter († um 67) and Paul of Tarsus († um 67). On the left, with a rounded head and curly hair and beard, next to his iconographic saint symbol, the key to the Gate of Paradise of the Kingdom of Heaven is Simon Peter and to the right is Paul of Tarsus who was executed by sword on the orders of Emperor Nero. He has longer features and a longer beard than that of Peter and has a sword as a symbol. At the top of the motif are the words "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City), and at the bottom in a semicircle "1950º DEL MARTIRIO DEI SANTI PIETRO E PAOLO" (1950 anniversary of the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul). The year of issue is "2017" at the bottom left and the initial "R" at the bottom right is the mint mark of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. Underneath are the logos "G TITOTTO" of the designer and "MOMONI INC." (INC. = incisore / engraver) of the engraver Claudia Momoni.

🔎		Italy	23 Jun. 2017	Bimillenary of the death of Titus Livius	20001 20002 20005	1,500,000	•
	Description : The books of the Roman historian Titus Livius (59 BC ‐ 17 AD) are considered one of the most important sources for the early history of the Roman Empire. In it, Livius describes Rome's rise to world power from the legendary founding of the city in 753 BC to its present day in 9 BC, i.e. to the beginnings of the imperial era under Augustus. On the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of his death, the coin shows his bust, created in 1867 by Lorenzo Larese Moretti (1858‐1867), in the "Panteon Veneto" (Palazzo Loredan, Campo Santo Stefano in Venice). The edge of the pill is accompanied by dots, interrupted at the bottom by the inscription "TITO ‐ LIVIO". On the right (from top to bottom) are his year of death "17", the year of issue "2017" and the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. On the left, the ligature "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) appears as the country abbreviation and below it the initials "C.M." of the medallist Claudia Momoni.

🔎		Estonia	26 Jun. 2017	Estonia's road to independence	20001 20002 20005	1,500,000	•
	Description : After the February Revolution in Russia in 1917, tsarist rule was also abolished in Estonia. On the 12th of April 1917 the Russian Provisional Government issued a decree on granting the autonomy of Estonia. After general, indirect elections, the Provisional Parliament of the Estonian Governorate (Ajutine Maanõukogu, unofficially called Maapäev) was constituted on the 14th of July 1917, with its seat in Tallinn. Shortly after the October Revolution in Petrograd, it declared itself the supreme authority in Estonia. Initally the members of parliament rejected the Bolsheviks' demand for the dissolution of parliament, however when the parliament was subsequently dissolved by force, the MPs went underground. The coin, designed by Jaan Meristo, shows bare branches on the left, symbolising the year 1917, and the twisted trunk of an oak tree representing Estonia's path to independence, and on the right, leaves and acorns of a common oak (oak leaves symbolising strength and longevity, normally part of the coat of arms of Estonia). On the left is the date "1917", below it "MAAPÄEV" (provisional state parliament), on the right the issuing state "EESTI" (Estonia) and the year of issue "2017". The coin was produced without mint marks by the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.

🔎		Greece	10 Jul. 2017	60 years since the death of Nikos Kazantzakis	20001 20002 20005	750,000	•
	Description : In profile is Nikos Kazantzakis (1883‐1957), one of the most important Greek writers of the 20th century, who wrote the novel Aleix Zorba in 1946, which became known to a wide audience through the film adaptation by Michael Cacoyannis, starring Anthony Quinn, and the music of Mikis Theodorakis. In the top left‐hand corner you can read "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ 2017" in two lines ("Hellenic Republic 2017") and "ΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΑΖΑΝΤΖΑΚΗΣ" (Nikos Kazantzakis). Below this is a palmette the mint mark of the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri. On the right is the signet "ΣΤΑΜ" of the coin designer Georgios Stamatopoulos.

🔎		Portugal	13 Jul. 2017	150 years of Public Security (PSP)	20001 20002 20005	520,000	•
	Description : The coin shows the insignia of the Polícia de Segurança Pública (Public Safety Police) next to the abbreviation "PSP". Next to the heads of a woman and a man depicted in profile and four stylised buildings symbolising citizens and cities for which public security is provided, the three most important terms related to citizenship are mentioned "DIREITOS", "LIBERADES" and "GARANTIS" (rights, freedoms and guarantees). On the left the occasion of issue is shown with "1867 • 2017 SEGURANÇA PÚBLICA" (1867 • 2017 public security), on the right the name of the issuing country "PORTUGAL". The mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon, "INCM", and the artist's name of the designer José Maria Fernandes Marques, "JOSÉ DE GUIMARÃES", appear at the bottom. 10,000 copies produced in the proof manufacturing process were issued as a coloured version (see picture).

🔎		Lithuania	31 Aug. 2017	Vilnius ‐ City of Culture	20001 20002 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : The commemorative coin was designed by Vladas Oržekauskas, the pre‐production plaster model was created by Giedrius Paulaukis. It is dedicated to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, as a city of culture and art ‐ since 1994 UNESCO World Heritage Site and 2009 European Capital of Culture. In the foreground on the right is the roof of the Church of St. Francis (Šv. Pranciškaus Asyžiečio), built in the early 16th century out of brick in the Gothic style. The central motif of the coin is the town's landmark, the freestanding bell tower of the University Church of St. John, which was built in the Renaissance period. After the fire of 1737 is was redesigned in the Baroque style around 1740 by Johann Chrstoph Glaubitz, who was appointed as the master builder, and raised by two floors to 68 metres. On the right towards the rear is the Church of the Assumption of St. Catherine (Šv. Kotrynos Baznycia), rebuilt by the same master builder around 1741‐1743 in the late Baroque style. On the left, the onion domes of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Michael and St. Konstatin, built in 1913 and called the "Romanov Church". At the top, in a semicircle, are the words "VILNIUS", "LIETUVA" (Lithuania), "2017" and the circular mint mark "LMK" of the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.

🔎		San Marino	31 Aug. 2017	International year of Sustainable Tourism	20001 20002 20005	73,100	•
	Description : The United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 the "International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development" because well‐designed and managed tourism can make a significant contribution to sustainable development. The Canadian designer Andrew Lewis, whose signet (right) represents an "A" in a circle, designed a stylised globe as a motif. In a semicircle, "TURISMO SOSTENIBILE" (sustainable tourism) is written at the top and "SAN MARINO 2017" at the bottom. The letter "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome is shown on the left, on the right the ligatured initials Uliana Pernazza (with the addition INC. = Incisore / Engraver) form the signet of the engraver.

🔎		France	25 Sep. 2017	25 years of Breast cancer awareness	20001 20002 20004 20005	10,020,500	•
	Description : Since the 1990s, the fight against breast cancer has been a major concern worldwide. This commemorative coin is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the symbol of this fight, the Pink Ribbon. Since 2004, a Pink Ribbon Prize ("Prix Ruban Rose") has been awarded annually in France to support breast cancer research and promote innovative treatment methods. The coin motif, a female breast symbolically protected by the ribbon and a hand, is surrounded on the right side by the inscription "25e ANNIVERSAIRE DU RUBAN ROSE" (25th Anniversary of the Pink Ribbon). Next to it (from top to bottom) is a cornucopia the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, the years "1992" and "2017", the abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic) and a pentagon the logo of mint master Yves Sampo. The coin was designed by Joaquin Jimenez. 10,000 examples of the coin produced as proofs were coloured (see picture).

🔎		Belgium	29 Sep. 2017	200 years Ghent University	20001 20002 20005	225,000	•
	Description : The commemorative coin designed by Luc Luycx shows the logo of Ghent University, which was founded in 1817, during the reign of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, under King William I. It is flanked by the dates "1817" and "2017" and encircled by the words ‐ in Dutch and English ‐ "200 JAAR UNIVERSITEIT GENT ‐ 200 YEARS GHENT UNIVERSITY" as well as the country abbreviation "BE" (Belgium) and on the left the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele the logo of the mint master Ingrid Van Herzele, 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, which closed at the end of 2017.

🔎		Vatican City	05 Oct. 2017	Centenary of the Fátima apparitions	20001 20002 20005	98,000	•
	Description : The central motif shows, in the background, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary ("Basilica Antiga") built between 1928 and 1953 and visited by pilgrims. In the foreground are three shepherd children from left to right Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto (based on a photograph taken in 1917) to whom it is said the virgin Mary appeared on the 13th of May 1917 in Cova da Iria near Fatima. The Marto brother and sister died in 1919 and 1920 respectively as victims of the flu pandemic. Lúcia dos Santos became a nun ‐ she wrote the Three Secrets of Fatima and died in 2005. On the left is the sculpture of Stephen I (969‐1038) standing on the colonnade of the basilica, he founded Hungary and was its first king from 1000 to 1038 ‐ venerated by the Roman Catholic Church and was canonized by Pope Gregory VII. At the top of the motif are the words "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City), and below it on two lines "1917" and "FATIMA". On the right the motif is the year of issue "2017" and on the left the initial "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, below it is "O.ROSSI" the logo of the designer Orietta Rossi. Next to it are the initials of Silvia Petrassi followed by "INC." = incisore / engraver.

🔎		Greece	12 Oct. 2017	Archaeological site of Philippi	20001 20002 20005	750,000	•
	Description : Philip II of Macedonia re‐founded the city under his name in 356 BC ‐ previously its Thracian name was Daton. Philippi, the oldest Christian church foundation in Europe, was declared a world heritage site in 2016. The motif on the coin depicts the ruins of Basilica B, built in the 6th century, underlaid with meandering patterns of the mosaic floor of the neighbouring Octagon Church, which dates from the 5th century. In the semi‐circle in the two lines "ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΣ ΧΩΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΩΝ" (Philippi Archaeological Site) and "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" (Hellenic Republic) are written in the upper left‐hand corner. Above is the year of issue "2017", on the right a palmette the mint mark of the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri is shown, on the left the signet "ΣΤΑΜ" of the coin designer Georgios Stamatopoulos.

🔎		Finland	23 Oct. 2017	Finnish Nature	20001 20002 20005	500,000	•
	Description : The coin dedicated to Finnish nature was designed after a photo taken by Kari Auvinen in Harmaja. It shows a black and grey hooded crow sitting on a bare bog birch. This bird, which reacts flexibly to new situations, is meant to symbolise the modern Finnish character. Behind him and the birch branches shines the cartographically depicted ‐ but in negative brightness values ‐ full moon. Half hidden by the crow's belly is the Mare Tranquillitatis, where the crew of Apollo 11 carried out the first moon landing in 1969. The dark spot on the left of the coin is the moon crater Copernicus. At the bottom is the year of issue "2017" and on the left the country abbreviation "FI" (Finland). On the right is a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa. There is also a 10‐euro silver coin with the same motif.

🔎		Luxembourg	26 Oct. 2017	200th birthday of the Grand Duke Guillaume III. 18th coin of the Grand-Ducal Dynasty series	20001 20002 20005	311,000	•
	Description : William III (1817‐1890) was Duke of Limburg from 1849 to 1866 and King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg in personal union from 1849 until his death. In 1867, the Luxembourg Crisis occurred when Napoleon III tried to buy Luxembourg from him. In the Second Treaty of London, Luxembourg was then declared "forever neutral". On the commemorative coin commemorating the 200th anniversary of his birth, William III is depicted on the right after a portrait painted in 1861 by Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister (1823‐1904). On his neck he wears the Order of the Golden Fleece, furthermore (from top to bottom) the stylised breast stars of the Military Order of Wilhelm and the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands as well as the highest order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Nassau House Order of the Golden Lion. The reason for its foundation was the 600th anniversary of the division of the House of Nassau into the Ottonian and the Walramic lines as well as the fiftieth anniversary of the Duchy of Nassau. The coin, designed by Alain Hoffmann, shows Grand Duke Henri in half‐profile on the left and his name "HENRI" in vertical lettering underneath, with the year of issue "2017" above it. The French form of William III's name and the year of his birth are depicted in an arch at the top right with "GUILLAUME III ☆ 1817", and the inscription "GRANDS‐DUCS DE LUXEMBOURG" (Grand Dukes of Luxembourg) at the bottom. At the bottom left the sails of the three‐masted clipper Nederland the logo of mint master Maarten Brouwer and a staff of Hermes the mint mark of the Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht. In the Proof set 2016‐18, the logo of mint master Stephan Satijn, the Servaasbrug (Sint‐Servaas Bridge in Maastricht), and the national mint mark, the Luxembourg lion with double tail, are depicted instead below the portrait of Henri.

🔎		Cyprus	03 Nov. 2017	Paphos - European Capital of Culture 2017	20001 20002 20005	430,000	•
	Description : The prehistory of the city of Paphos can be traced back to the late Bronze Age ‐ the immigration of Mycenaean Greeks in the late 13th century BC is archaeologically attested to by rich grave finds. Despite heavy damage from earthquakes the sanctuary of Aphrodite remained intact until the 4th century AD. The sanctuary was under the patronage of the Roman emperors and which, according to Pausanias, was built by Agapenor of Tegea on his way home from Troy. Cyprus' first own national 2‐euro commemorative coin shows the Roman Odeon, built in the 2nd century, which after reconstruction is now once more used for music and theatre performances. The Paphos Archaeological Park was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1980, and Paphos was also European Capital of Culture in 2017. "ΠΑΦΟΣ 2017 ‐ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΤΙΚΗ ΠΡΩΤΕΥΟΥΣΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΡΩΠΗΣ" (Paphos 2017 ‐ European Capital of Culture) and "ΚΥΠΡΟΣ KIBRIS" (Cyprus, in Greek and Turkish) are engraved in a circle around the motif which was designed by Georgios Stamatopoulos. The coin was minted without a mint mark by the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri.

🔎		Malta	13 Nov. 2017	Solidarity and Peace 2nd coin of the from children in solidarity series	20001 20002 20005	380,000	•
	Description : Designed by 12‐year‐old student Katya Muscat and engraved by Noel Galea Bason, the coin depicts ‐ under a hovering dove of peace ‐ two small children holding the flag of Malta between them, with the St George's Cross in the upper left‐hand corner, which was awarded to the entire population of Malta for their courage and bravery during the Italian and German air raids in World War II. The right half of the flag is ‐ following the heraldic rules of tingierung ‐ represented by vertical hatching with the tincture red. At the bottom it reads "Malta" as the issuing country, on the right "2017". The coin was minted by the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac without a mint mark; in Coincard's specimens, the year is flanked on the left by a cornucopia as their mint mark, while a pentagon on the right represents the mint master's mark Yves Sampos.

🔎		Monaco	13 Nov. 2017	200 years Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Carabiniers' of the Prince)	20001 20002 20005	15,000	•
	Description : Shown here are two members of the Princely Carabinier Company in front of the western façade and the main gate of the Princely Palace, designed by Marc‐Antoine Grigho around 1678 and surmounted by the coat of arms of Monaco. The Grimaldi family, originally a Genoese noble family, has resided here since 1297. On the right, a restored tower with swallow‐tail battlements, formerly part of the Genoese castle built in 1191. Above, the issuing state is named "MONACO", flanked on the left by a cornucopia as a sign of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, and on the right by the mint master's mark Yves Sampos, a pentagon. At the bottom are the dates "1817‐2017". (each flanked by a diamond borrowed from the coat of arms of Monaco) and "CARABINIERS DU PRINCE" (Princely Carabiniers).

🔎		Latvia	14 Nov. 2017	Kurzeme (Courland) 2nd coin of the Historical Regions series	20001 20002 20005	500,000	•
	Description : The coin designed by Laimonis Šēnbergs, whose plaster model Jānis Strupulis made, is dedicated to Kurland and shows a lion in the coat of arms of the historical region of Latvia ‐ as it was in the coat of arms of Gotthard Kettler, the first Duke of Kurland and Semgallia, from 1569. Above the coat of arms, the state of issue reads "LATVIJA" (Latvia), below the coat of arms is the inscription "KURZEME" (Kurland). On the right side the year of issue is "2017". The coin was minted without mintmarks by the German mint Staatliche Münzen Baden‐Württemberg in Stuttgart.

🔎		Latvia	14 Nov. 2017	Latgale 3rd coin of the Historical Regions series	20001 20002 20005	500,000	•
	Description : The coin, designed by Laimonis Šēnbergs, whose plaster model Jānis Strupulis made, is dedicated to Latgalia and shows in the coat of arms of the historical region of Latvia a griffin turned to the right, a fantasy figure in heraldry with an eagle upper body and a lion abdomen. As early as 1566, the coat of arms of the Duchy of Livonia (Pãrdaugava) showed a griffin (which, however, as in Vidzeme's coat of arms, is turned to the left). Above the coat of arms, the state of issue reads "LATVIJA" (Latvia), and below the coat of arms is the inscription "LATGALE" (Latgalia). The year of issue "2017" is indicated on the right side. The coin was minted without mintmarks by the German mint Staatliche Münzen Baden‐Württemberg in Stuttgart.

🔎		Portugal	21 Nov. 2017	150. Geburtstag Raul Brandäos	20001 20002 20005	520,000	•
	Description : The coin commemorates the 150th birthday of the Portuguese writer Raul Brandäo (1867‐1930). The main themes of his work are death and the isolation of man, combined with the pantheism typical of Portugal. He also describes the meagre life and the worlds threatened with ruin of the fishermen, peasants and simple people, whose chronicler he saw himself as. With his book As ilhas desconhecidas ‐ Notas e paisagens (The Unknown Islands ‐ Records and Landscapes), published in 1926, he shaped the image of the Azores in Europe. On the left is his name "RAUL BRANDÄO" in three lines, below it his year of birth "1867", the year of issue "2017" as well as "PORTUGAL" on the bottom right. On the upper edge of the pill, "LUÍS FELIPE DE ABREU" is the name of the coin designer and "INCM" the mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon.

🔎		Andorra	08 Feb. 2018	100th anniversary of the Andorran anthem	20001 20002 20005	85,000	•
	Description : El Gran Carlemany (The Great Charlemagne) is the national anthem of Andorra. The lyrics ("The great Charlemagne, my father, freed me from the Arabs. And from heaven he gave me the life of Meritxel, the great mother. I was born a princess, a virgin, neutral between two nations. I am the only remaining daughter of the Carolingian Empire ...") were composed by Juan Benlloch y Vivó (1864‐1926) ‐ appointed Bishop of Urgell from 1906 to 1918, (this position meant that he was also Prince of Andorra) and the tune of Enric Marfany Bons (1871‐1942). Published in 1914, it was declared the national anthem by the Andorran Parliament "Consell General de les Valls" on the 2nd of April 1917. The logo was designed based the book entitled the National Anthem of Andorra, the original image of Benlloch y Vivós was later replaced by the first bars of the anthem in musical notation. Surrounded by an ornament, there is the "Himne Andorrà" (Hymn of Andorra), and underneath it is an arched piece of writing "chor unison i acompanyament" (choir and accompaniment ‐ implying that of an organ). To the lower left is ‐ cut ‐ "Lletra del ... i llm ... lloch i Vivó" (text by ... "LL.M" = Master of Laws ... lloch i Vivó), on the right "Música (music) ... mos ... (Mossèn = knight) En ... (Enric Marfany)". At the bottom there is the coat of arms of Benloch y Vivó with the five‐pointed crown of the Andorran prince. At the top is the year of minting "2017" and "100 anys de l'himne d'Andorra" (100th Anniversay of the Andorran anthem). The coin was designed by the Ateliers de Gravure of the Monnaie de Paris. Andorran coins are minted alternately in the countries of the Princes of Andorra; in 2017 it was the turn of the Monnaie de Paris in Pessac. Due to organisational problems the coin could not be issued until 2018.

🔎		Andorra	08 Feb. 2018	Andorra ‐ the Pyrenean country	20001 20002 20005	85,000	•
	Description : The upper part of the coin illustrates a triangle made up of three wavy stripes, a simplified representation of the geographical shape of the country. Below it is the word "Andorra" and below that "EL PAÍS DELS PIRINEUS" (The land in the Pyrenees). It is the registered trademark of the Andorran Government and is used in all communications in order to be clearly and immediately recognisable as a uniform, identical and coordinated image. The coin was designed by the Ateliers de Gravure of the Monnaie de Paris. Andorran coins are minted alternately in the countries of the Princes of Andorra; in 2017 it was the turn of the Monnaie de Paris in Pessac. Due to organisational problems the coin could not be issued until 2018.

⇓ 2018 ⇓

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