2 Euro commemorative coins

2 Euro

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

⇑ 2020 ⇑
2021
Image	Country		Date	Feature	Ref.	Volume
🔎		Portugal	04 Jan. 2021	EU Presidency 2021	20001 20002 20005	510,000	•
	Description : Portugal holds the EU Presidency in the first half of 2021. The coin designer Eduardo Aires depicts Lisbon as the westernmost capital of the European Union in the origin of a tuft of rays with an aperture angle of 92°, indicating the directions in which the other EU capitals appear on the map from Lisbon. However, they are rotated counterclockwise by 9° compared to the normal map display, in which the east direction points horizontally to the right and the north direction points upwards, so that the rightmost line of the tuft to Valletta, which in real terms deviates by 9° to the right from the east direction, is horizontal on the coin. The leftmost line directed towards Dublin thus deviates from the vertical by 2° to the left instead of 7° to the right. Since Prague and Vilnius lie almost on the same line, only 25 directional rays are visible. Important tasks of the Portuguese Council Presidency are the coordination of the EU‐Corona aid package of 750 billion euros and European social policy. The issue occasion "PRESIDÉNCIA DO CONSELHO DA UNIÃO EUROPEIA PORTUGAL 2021" is shown in four lines. On the left are in two lines the mint mark "CASA DA MOEDA" of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon and "EDUARDO AIRES" for the designer.

🔎		Latvia	20 Jan. 2021	100th anniversary of the recognition of the Republic of Latvia	20002 20007 20008	412,000	•
	Description : Following the declaration of Latvian state independence by the Latvian People's Council on the 18th of November 1918 and the subsequent Latvian War of Independence, which ended with the Peace of Riga in 1920, Latvia was internationally recognised de jure on the 26th of January 1921. The coup d'état of the 15th of May 1934 in Latvia eliminated the parliament and established an authoritarian regime. In a secret additional protocol to the German‐Soviet non‐aggression pact, it was agreed on the 23rd of August 1939 that Latvia would be part of the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. The latter imposed a mutual assistance and base agreement on Latvia. On the 31st of October 1939, a resettlement treaty concerning the Baltic Germans was signed between the German Reich and Latvia. On the 17th of June 1940, Soviet troops occupied Latvia and de facto incorporated it into the Soviet Union. From the 10th of July 1941 to 1945, Latvia was occupied by the Wehrmacht. In 1945, the so‐called Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic was renewed. The mass deportation of Latvians to Siberia in 1941 was followed by further deportations in 1945 and 1949. On the 4th of May 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia declared the country's independence restored. This was recognised by the Soviet Union on the 6th of September 1991 ‐ together with the independence of Lithuania and Estonia. "100 LATVIJA DE IURE 2021" is the four‐line inscription on the coin, indicating the commemorative occasion, Latvia as the issuing country and the year of issue. The coin was designed by Zane Ernštreite and minted without a mint mark by the German mint Staatlichen Münzen Baden‐Württemberg in Stuttgart.

🔎		Germany	26 Jan. 2021	Saxony‐Anhalt (Magdeburg Cathedral) 16th coin in the Federal States series	20002 20007 20008	30,433,900	•
	Description : Construction of the first Gothic cathedral on German soil began in 1209 at the instigation of Archbishop Albrecht I of Käfernburg, this was after its predecessor, the late Romanesque building was destroyed in the city of Magdeburg fire of 1207. Archbishop Burchard III, to finance the construction, rigorously raised the beer tax amongst other things and was slain by outraged citizens in 1325. In 1363 the nave of the unfinished cathedral was consecrated. Construction work was resumed in 1477 and completed in 1520 under Archbishop Ernst II of Saxony. At the time of the Reformation, Magdeburg was a stronghold of Protestantism and the cathedral became Protestant in 1567. In 1631, during the Thirty Years' War, army commander Tilly conquered Magdeburg. The subsequent massacre, sarcastically called the Magdeburg Wedding, cost the lives of 20,000 citizens ‐ Pope Urban VIII rejoiced at the "destruction of the heretic's nest". After severe damage from air raids on Magdeburg in January 1945 and restoration after the war, the cathedral was reopened in 1955. The Roman‐German Emperor Otto I the Great (912‐973) is buried in the cathedral the north‐east view of which is depicted on the coin. At the top of the motif is "2021", at the bottom "SACHSEN‐ANHALT" and below it the country abbreviation "D" (for Deutschland / Germany). In the middle on the 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 oder J = Landesbetrieb Hamburgische Münze in Hamburg). On the right are the initials "mo" of the designer Michael Otto.

🔎		Italy	26 Jan. 2021	150th anniversary of the proclamation of Rome as the capital of Italy	20002 20003 20005	3,000,000	•
	Description : In the course of the Risorgimento, the Kingdom of Italy was created in 1861 with Florence as its temporary capital. Although Rome was chosen as the capital, it was still under the control of the Pope and French protection troops. When these were withdrawn due to the Franco‐Prussian War, troops under King Victor Emmanuel II occupied the rest of the Papal States consisting of Lazio and Rome in 1870. In 1871, Rome was declared the capital of Italy. Roma capitale (Rome capital) holds a special status as a municipality: the state (of) Vatican City, located within the city limits, has been an independent landlocked state since 1929 ‐ as the seat of the Pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church as well as of the Holy See, an independent subject of international law. The coin, designed by Uliana Pernazza, shows the head of the statue of the goddess Roma ‐ with a she‐wolf helmet referring to Romulus and Remus ‐ which is located in the centre of the Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) of the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, created in 1925 by the Italian sculptor Angelo Zanelli (1879‐1942). The inscription "ROMA CAPITALE • 1871•2021•" names Rome as the capital as well as the year of nomination and the year of issue. On the left is the country abbreviation "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) and below it the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. The ligatured initials "UP" of the designer are shown below.

🔎		France	20 Feb. 2021	75th anniversary of UNICEF	20002 20003 20005	7,520,000	•
	Description : In 1946, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was founded to help children in Europe after the Second World War it was renamed the United Nations Children's Fund in 1953. Today the children's relief organisation works primarily in developing countries supporting children and mothers in approximately 190 countries in the areas of health, family planning, hygiene, nutrition as well as education and provides humanitarian aid in emergency situations. The coin, designed by Joaquin Jimenez, shows a globe made up out of puzzle pieces and holding it two children's hands, which also illustrate the connection between connecting elements. On the globe Europe, North Africa and Greenland are visible. At the bottom left and right, two olive tree branches depicting peace (they also appear in the organisation's logo). At the top is "UNICEF" and below it "1946‐2021" and "POUR CHAQUE ENFANT" (for every child). The reason for the issue is described in the inscription "75 ANS" (75 years). At the bottom right is the country abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic), below it is a cornucopia the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac and the designer's logo.

🔎		San Marino	01 Mar. 2021	450th birthday of Caravaggio	20002 20003 20005	56,400	•
	Description : Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571‐1610) was an important Italian painter of the early Baroque period. With his realistic pictorial design, he is regarded ‐ together with Annibale Carracci ‐ as the overcomer of Mannerism and the founder of Roman Baroque painting. He broke new ground primarily in the treatment of Christian themes by linking the sacred with the profane. His most important painting innovation was the chiaroscuro, painting, as a design element of the scenes. The coin designed by Silvia Petrassi on the occasion of his 450th birthday depicts Mary Magdalene, companion of Jesus and witness of the Resurrection, after the painting The Penitent Magdalene, created around 1595, today in the Palazzo Doria‐Pamphilj, Rome. Caravaggio's model is thought to be the courtesan Anna Bianchini, with whom he had a turbulent relationship. At the top is written in a semicircle "SAN MARINO ‐ CARAVAGGIO". On the top left the year of birth of the painter and the year of issue are indicated with "1571‐2021" and on the right the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. The initials "SP" of the designer appear on the left.

🔎		Spain	10 Mar. 2021	Historic city of Toledo 12th coin in the UNESCO Wourld Heritage Sites series	20002 20007 20008	4,019,500	•
	Description : Toledo is the capital of the Spanish province of Toledo and of the autonomous region of Castilla‐La Mancha and is located 65 km southwest of Madrid on the Tagus River. The Puente de Alcántara bridge has served as the main access to the city since Roman times and was supplemented by the Puente de San Martín in the late Middle Ages. The old town with the Cathedral of Santa María and the Alcázar was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The coin motif, designed by Alfonso Morales Muñoz, depicts two Mudejar‐style monuments built in the second half of the 14th century. On the right is the Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun) ‐ whose medallion above the archway depicts the ordination of Archbishop Ildefons, considered the patron saint of Toledo. Under a sun ‐ and on the upper left is the wall above the gate shrine of the El Tránsito synagogue (today it is the Museo Sefardí, a museum dedicated to the history of the Jews in Spain). Towards the lower left is "ESPAÑA" (Spain) and below it the year of issue "2021". At the top right is the letter "M" adorned with a crown, the mint mark of the Spanish mint Real Casa de la Moneda in Madrid.

🔎		Finland	28 Mar. 2021	Journalism	20002 20003 20005	530,000	•
	Description : According to the coin's designer Hannu Jasoni Veijalainen, the two stylised male and female figures and the information networks circling around them like a ribbon are meant to reflect the open communication in Finnish journalism that supports democracy. On the left, the issue occasion, journalism, is named in Finnish as "JOURNALISMI" and on the right in Swedish as "JOURNALISTIK". At the bottom is the year of issue, "2021", flanked on the right by the country abbreviation "FI" (Finland) and on the left by a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa. A 100‐euro gold coin was also issued with the same design on the obverse.

🔎 🔎		Luxembourg	19 Apr. 2021	100th birthday of Grand Duke Jean 25th coin in the Grand‐Ducal Dynasty series	20001 20002 20005	333,500	•
	Beschreibung : During the Second World War, the Grand Ducal family was in exile in Canada and Great Britain, together with the government of Luxembourg. Jean von Nassau (1921‐2019) joined the British Regiment of Irish Guards in 1942 and participated as an officer in the liberation of the continent. He served as Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Duke of Nassau from 1964 to 2000. His portrait, based on a photograph, is depicted following a design concept of the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg - BCL (Luxembourg Central Bank), next to a three‐quarter profile of the reigning Grand Duke Henri and in front of the silhouette of Luxembourg City Cathedral, shown from the west, and Adolphe Bridge. On the left and above is written "GROUSSHERZOGE VU LËTZEBUERG" (Grand Dukes of Luxembourg), on the left is "1921" as Jean's year of birth and next to it in vertical letters his name "JEAN" and on the right the name "HENRI". The year of issue "2021" is shown at the bottom right. The coin is produced in two minting variants, in normal relief minting and in MPI photo minting. The circulation coins bear a staff of Hermes to the right of the 6 o'clock star the mint mark of the Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Houten and the national mint mark, the Luxembourg lion with double tail, to the left. Coins issued in coincards or coin sets in relief minting also show a staff of Hermes on the right, but the Servaasbrug (Sint‐Servaas Bridge in Maastricht) the logo of Stephan Satijn on the left. This is also depicted on the left of coins produced in the Proof manufactoring process, but on the right is the Luxembourg lion with double tail.

🔎 🔎		Luxembourg	19 Apr. 2021	40th wedding anniversary of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa 26th coin in the Grand‐Ducal Dynasty series	20002 20007 20008	333,500	•
	Beschreibung : Born Maria Teresa Mestre Batista in Havana, Cuba, in 1956, the present Grand Duchess moved with her family to New York City in 1959 and later to Geneva, where she met Hereditary Grand Duke Henri while studying political science together. The commemorative coin for the 40th wedding anniversary shows the couple, following a design concept of the Banque Centrale du Luxembourg - BCL (Luxembourg Central Bank), after a photograph. The wedding date "14. FEBRUAR 1981" (14 February 1981) is flanked by rose petals on the left and wedding rings on the right. Below is the name of the issuing country "LËTZEBUERG" (Luxembourg). The commemorative coins, produced in two minting processes ‐ relief and MPI photo minting ‐ bear three different combinations of mint marks: The circulation coins bear a staff of Hermes to the right of the 6 o'clock star the mint mark of the Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Houten and the national mint mark, the Luxembourg lion with double tail, to the left. Coins issued in coincards or coin sets in relief minting also show a staff of Hermes on the right, but the Servaasbrug (Sint‐Servaas Bridge in Maastricht) the logo of Stephan Satijn on the left. This is also depicted on the left of coins produced in the Proof manufactoring process, but on the right is the Luxembourg lion with double tail.

🔎		Greece	22 Apr. 2021	200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution	20002 20007 20008	1,500,000	•
	Description : After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Sultan Mehmed II, most of the Greek‐speaking area belonged to the Ottoman Empire for four hundred years. However, there were hardly any Turks in the Greek heartland ‐ rather, Greece was predominantly ruled by Greeks who cooperated with the Sultan. The Greek Revolution (1821‐1829) refers to the struggle against Ottoman rule and for an independent Greek republic. The drive for independence was initially supported by the great powers of France, Britain and Russia, mainly for tactical reasons. The 25th of March 1821 marked the beginning of the Greek revolution; today the 25th of March is a bank holiday in Greece. The coin, designed by Georgios Stamatopoulos, shows a circular section of the flag of Greece surrounded by twelve laurel branch tips as a symbol of honour, glory and victory. Circularly, the occasion of issue is indicated as "1821‐2021 200 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΕΠΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ" (1821‐2021 200 years since the Greek Revolution) and the country of issue "ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ" (Hellenic Republic). Below is a palmette the mint mark of the Greek mint Νομισματοκοπειο / Nomismatokopeio (Bank of Greece ‐ Mint) in Halandri and above it the designer's signet "ΣΤΑΜ".

🔎		Portugal	18 May 2021	Participation in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo	20002 20003 20005	510,000	•
	Description : Tokyo, which already hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964, was also scheduled to host the 2020 Summer Olympics from the 24th of July to the 9th of August. Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, however, they were postponed by one year and thus scheduled for the first time outside the usual 4‐year rhythm. Due to the pandemic, they are to be held without foreign spectators, athletes' relatives and with few volunteers. The coin design by Francisco Providencia intended for 2020 was modified and the circular inscription now reads "2021 PORTUGAL NOS JOGOS OLÍMPICOS DE TÓQUIO ' 20" (2021 Portugal at the Tokyo Olympic Games ' 20). The logo of the Olympic Committee of Portugal is depicted above the Olympic rings ‐ symbolising the five continents ‐ a flagpole and the cross of the paw of the Order of Christ. On the left, "CASA DA MOEDA ‐ F. PROVIDENCIA" is the mint mark of the Portuguese mint Imprensa Nacional‐ Casa da Moeda S.A. in Lisbon and the designer's signet.

🔎		Lithuania	19 May 2021	Žuvintas biosphere reserve	20002 20007 20008	500,000	•
	Description : The Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve is located in southern Lithuania, south‐east of the town of Marijampolė, in Šešupė the catchment basin area of the Dovinė River. The reserve includes the Žuvintas marsh, the Žuvintas and Amalva wetlands, the Bukta forest and Lake Žaltytis and has more than 4,200 species of animals, plants and fungi. With an area of 5,442 hectares, it is not only the largest nature reserve in the country, but also the oldest ‐ the reserve was established in 1937. In 2002 it became Lithuania's first biosphere reserve and in 2011 it was included in the network of UNESCO biosphere reserves. In addition to about 2,000 insect, 5 reptile, 10 amphibian, 45 mammal and 22 fish species, it provides habitat for more than 240 bird species. The shallow lakes of Žuvintas and Amalva, overgrown with reeds and rushes, are home to one of the largest populations of wood pigeons, reed buntings and plovers, and provide resting places for thousands of migrating cranes and greylag geese. The wetlands of Žuvintas are home to one of Europe's rarest songbirds, the warbler. The coin, designed by Eglė Ratkutė and Ernestas Žemaitis, shows a bittern on a grassy island lying in wait for a fire‐bellied toad swimming in the water. A mute swan, the heraldic animal of the reserve, flies above a sedge warbler clinging to a cattail leaf. In addition, four cranes are depicted in flight at the top left of the coin. At the top of the coin is "LIETUVA" (Lithuania) the country of issue,at the bottom "ŽUVINTAS" and "UNESCO" (acronym of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) below it. On the right is the year of issue "2021" and on the bottom left is the circular mint mark "LMK" of the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius. By mistake, parts of the coins intended for coin cards were provided with prefabricated edges intended for Latvia, and thus bear the incorrect edge lettering "DIEVS ★ SVĒTĪ ★ LATVIJU ★" instead of the correct inscription "LAISVĖ ★ VIENYBĖ ★ GEROVĖ ★".

🔎		Estonia	16 Jun 2021	Finno‐Ugric peoples	20002 20007 20008	1,000,000	•
	Description : In Europe, the Indo‐European languages dominate. As well as the isolated language Basque and the Semitic Maltese and Turkish spoken in Eastern Thrace, there is a second language family, the Finno‐Ugric languages. It includes Finnish, Estonian, Livonian (which is native to the Latvian Courland) and Hungarian. Sami, spoken in Lapland, also belongs to the Uralic languages. The ancestors of the Finno‐Ugric peoples came from Siberia east of the Urals. Around 1840, on granite rocks on the shores of Lake Onega in Karelia (called Äänisjärv in Estonian) Estonians discovered about 1,200 Neolithic petroglyphs ‐ about 6,000 years old ‐ which depict the symbolic life cycle of the Finno‐Ugric people. For example, a swan carries the sun across the sky. Waterfowl, moose and hunters form other motifs. In 1970, Lennart Meri ‐ President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001 ‐ made a documentary film entitled Waterfowl People about the Finno‐Ugric peoples and their ancient traditions. The sculptor Al Paldrok, who together with the graphic designer Madis Pöldsaar designed the coin which used the swan as the central motif. in 1984 as part of a scientific expedition they made tracings of the symbols depicted on the coin (using a process called brass rubbing which involves rubbing of the surface structure onto a laid paper). On the day the coin was issued, the World Congress of Finno‐Ugric and Sami Peoples ‐ held every four years alternately in Russia, Hungary, Finland or Estonia ‐ was opened in Tartu. At the bottom left is the reason for the issue, "FENNO‐UGRIA" and at the top right, the country and year of issue "EESTI 2021". The coin was produced by the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.

🔎		Italy	22 Jun 2021	Grazie ‐ Health professionals	20002 20007 20008	3,000,000	•
	Description : The COVID 19 pandemic, which has been unfolding since December 2019, started in China and affected Italy first in Europe and particularly dramatically. The health systems of several northern Italian provinces were so overloaded that many patients could not be treated or could not be treated adequately and clinicians were forced to triage. On the night of the 18th-19th of March 2020, a convoy of military trucks drove through Bergamo to transport coffins containing dead bodies to crematoria in the surrounding area. The morgues of the city's cemeteries and funeral homes were overcrowded; coffins had to be stored in churches. The coin dedicated to the health professions shows a man and a woman in hospital gowns, wearing mouth‐nose protection and holding a clipboard and stethoscope respectively ‐ representing all the doctors and nurses fighting the pandemic and struggling tirelessly to recover their patients. The reason for the issue is "GRAZIE" (thank you) at the top, followed by a ♥. Below this, the ligature "RI" (Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic) is shown as the country abbreviation. A Greek cross symbolising the Red Cross is shown on the left as ✚. At the bottom are the year of issue "2021", on the right the "R" as the logo of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome and on the bottom left the initials "C.M." of the coin designer Claudia Momoni mentioned.

🔎		Vatican City	25 Jun. 2021	450th birthday of Caravaggio	20002 20003 20005	86,300	•
	Description : After the one already issued by San Marinos, this is the second commemorative coin celebrating the 450th birthday of Michelangelo Merisis da Caravaggio (1571‐1610). The Italian painter of the early Baroque period with his realistic pictorial design is considered ‐ together with Annibale Carracci ‐ to have overcome Mannerism and to be the founder of Roman Baroque painting. His most important painting innovation was the chiaroscuro painting. Chiara Principe chose the painting Fanciullo con canestro di frutta (Boy with Fruit Basket, which today is exhibited in the Galleria Borghese in Rome) created by Caravaggio in 1593, as the motif for the coin she designed. The model was 16‐year‐old Mario Minniti, who later became a Baroque painter in Sicily. The masterfully depicted fruit mirrors the horticulture of the time, right down to the pests that left their mark on fruit and leaves. Depicted from left to right are grapes of different colours, apples and figs, small pears on a branch, a peach overflowing with light red, two medlars, red seeds of a broken pomegranate and two quinces, together with dark peach leaves, vine leaves and two stalks with mint leaves. The reason for the issue, including the year of birth and year of issue, are noted in two lines at the bottom of the bottom on the coin: "CARAVAGGIO 1571‐2021", and the issuing country "CITTÁ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City) at the top. On the left is the initial "R", the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, on the lower right are the stylised initials "CP" of the designer together with the mark "UP.INC." (INC. = Incisore / Engraver) of the engraver Uliana Pernazza above it.

🔎		Belgium	07 Jul. 2021	100th anniversary of the Belgium‐Luxembourg Economic Union Treaty	20002 20003 20005	155,000	•
	Description : Although the population of Luxembourg had voted by a majority of over 60 % in favour of economic annexation to France in the referendum of the 28th of September 1919 after the First World War, the Economic Union Treaty with Belgium was concluded two years later because France opposed an economic link with Luxembourg. One of the most important measures of the customs union, abbreviated UEBL, was the pegging of the Belgian and Luxembourg francs. The exchange rates of the two currencies were thus the same until they were replaced by the Euro in 2002. The treaty establishing the UEBL was signed in Brussels on the 25th of July 1921, entered into force on the 22nd of December 1922 and became a precursor to the Benelux Economic Union. A new agreement aimed at bringing the provisions of the Treaty into line with those of the European Union was signed in 2002 and published in the Moniteur belge on the 6th of January 2005. The new text also takes into account the new distribution of powers in the Belgian federal state by being co‐signed by the three Belgian regions. It also extends the scope of Belgian‐Luxembourg cooperation beyond the economic objective by providing for increased cooperation in international institutions and the intensification of relations in the fields of development aid, defence and peacekeeping. The first Belgian 2‐Euro commemorative coin of 2005 was already dedicated to the Belgium‐Luxembourg Economic Union (originally even planned as a joint issue with Luxembourg). The coin design of 2021 by Luc Luycx again shows the portraits of the heads of state of both states, the now reigning Belgian King Philippe (front) and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (back). The outlines of both states shown above are marked with the abbreviations "BE" and "LUX". The occasion of issue is inscribed in vertical letters in English "ECONOMIC UNION", below are the dates "1921" and "2021" in two lines, and to the left of them the staff of Hermes the mint mark of the Royal Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Houten and the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele the logo of the mint master Ingrid Van Herzele. The initials "LL" of the designer appears at the bottom right.

🔎		Malta	02 Aug. 2021	Heroes of the Pandemic	20002 20003 20005	72,500	•
	Description : In the wake of the respiratory syndromes caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 coronaviruses, the World Health Organisation declared COVID‐19 a global pandemic on the 11th of March 2020. In Malta, too, the health system reached its limits in caring for the sick. Nurse Diane Faenza took a photo of her colleagues Doreen Zammit and Charmaine Cauchi in the intensive care unit of Mater Dei Hospital in Msida, lying exhausted in each other's arms. Maria Anna Frisone used this photo as a model for her coin design, which pays tribute to the heroes of the pandemic. At the top, the reason for the issue is written in English: "HEROES OF THE PANDEMIC", and at the bottom, "MALTA ‐ 2021" indicates the country and year of issue. The ligatured initials "MAF" of the designer are shown on the right. The coin was made by the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac, with a cornucopia as their mint mark on the left. Below it is the square mintmaster's logo of the French chief engraver Joaquin Jimenez.

🔎		Finland	09 Aug. 2021	100th anniversary of self‐government in the Åland region	20002 20007 20008	800,000	•
	Description : The Åland Islands were part of the Swedish Empire founded in the High Middle Ages ‐ at the same time as the Christianisation of Sweden. As a result of the Great Northern War, the strategically important Åland came under Russian occupation in 1714, which led to the flight of a large part of the Åland population to Sweden. The Russo‐Swedish War resulted in the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in 1809, in which Sweden ceded Finland, the Åland Islands and parts of Lapland and Västerbotten to Russia, which formed the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland with its own administration under the rule of the Russian Tsar. After the Russian February Revolution in 1917, the Finnish Civil War broke out at the end of January 1918 and efforts were made to annex Åland to Sweden. The League of Nations decided on the 24th of June 1921 that the islands would remain part of Finland, but that various guarantees would have to be given to safeguard the nationality, language and culture of the Swedish‐speaking population of the islands: Åland became an autonomous region of Finland with Swedish as the only official language. On the 20th of October 1921, an agreement on the demilitarisation and neutrality of Åland was concluded in Geneva, signed by all the countries bordering the Baltic Sea except the Soviet Union. On the 3rd of April 1954, Åland received its own flag, and since 1984 it has had its own postage stamps. The Åland government officially introduced AX as a nationality marker on the 19th of March 2010. The commemorative coin, designed by Ulrika Kjeldsen, shows the calm surface of the southern Gulf of Bothnia between Sweden and the Finnish mainland with archipelagos and cumulus clouds on the horizon. In the foreground is the bow of a wooden boat and a hand holding a compass. Three stick‐shaped buoys bobbing in the water in the direction of travel warn of shoals. Two lozenges ‐ symbolising cone‐shaped buoys ‐ separate the circular designation of the issue occasion on the left and right: "ÅLANDS SJÄLVSTYRELSE 100 ÅR" at the top in Swedish, "AHVENANMAAN ITSEHALLINTO 100 VUOTTA" (Åland self‐government 100 years) at the bottom in Finnish. On the right is the year of issue "2021" and next to it the country abbreviation "FI" (Finland), on the left a lion (the heraldic animal of Finland) the mint mark of the Finnish mint Suomen Rahapaja OY in Vantaa.

🔎		San Marino	27 Aug. 2021	550th anniversary of birth of Albrecht Dürer	20002 20003 20005	56,400	•
	Description : Albrecht Dürer (1471‐1528) was a German painter, graphic artist, mathematician and art theorist. With his paintings, drawings, copperplate engravings and woodcuts, he is one of the outstanding representatives of the Renaissance. The coin designed by Valerio de Seta shows Dürer's painting Mary with Child, created in 1526, today in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The pear held in Mary's left hand can be interpreted as a symbol of love because of its sweetness. Dürer's monogram, a large "A" with an underpinned "D", is depicted in the upper right. Dürer's year of birth and the year of issue are indicated below with "1471‐2021", on the right is "DÜRER" as the occasion of issue, on the left "SAN MARINO" and next to it the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. The designer's logo "VdS" is shown at the bottom right.

🔎		Lithuania	09 Sep. 2021	Dzūkija 3rd coin in the series on Lithuanian Ethnographical Regions	20002 20007 20008	500,000	•
	Description : The coin is dedicated to Dzūkija (Central Lithuania), the region in the south‐east of the country with the capital Vilnius and the cultural centre Alytus. Here, Dzūkian (South Aukshaitic) is spoken, a dialect of Lithuanian. The coin, designed by Rolandas Rimkūnas, shows the coat of arms of Dzūkija, which was designed in 2003 by Arvydas Každailis, the creator of the Lithuanian national coat of arms, which was in turn based on the seal of the medieval Grand Duke Kęstutis and included the coat of arms of the Principality of Trakai, part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which existed from 1337 to 1413. The coin is illustrated with an armoured knight holding a shield and a pollaxe, flanked by two Eurasian lynxes and below it is the Latin motto "EX GENTE BELLICOSISSIMA POPULUS LABORIOSUS" (from the most warlike tribe a hardworking people). This honours the memory of the Baltic tribe of Jatwingers who lived in the provisory territory of the Dzūkija ethnographic region. At the top of the coin is the word "LIETUVA" (Lithuania) and the year "2021" thr year of issue. At the bottom of the coin is the word "DZŪKIJA" and above it the circular mint mark "LMK" of the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.

🔎		France	21 Sep. 2021	Marianne and the race ‐ Eiffel Tower 1st coin in the series on the Olympic Summer Games Paris 2024	20002 20003 20005	510,000	•
	Description : Paris will host the Summer Olympic Games for the third time (previously in 1900 and 1924) from the 26th of July to the 11th of August 2024. A four‐part coin series was planned dedicated to this event, the first part was the handing over of the Olympic flag, which was carried out at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo on the 8th of August 2021. Instead, Marianne ‐ sprinting in classical style as a reference to the ancient Olympic Games ‐ is depicted, the national figure of the French Republic, wearing a Phrygian cap. In the background the Eiffel Tower, the Parisian landmark, and the running tracks of the Stade de France are depicted, the stadium will serve as the Olympic venue in 2024. The logo of the Olympic games is depicted on the top left, with the country abbreviation "RF" (République française, French Republic) below it. At the bottom of the coin is "2021", flanked on the left by a cornucopia the mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac and on the right by the square logo of the French chief engraver and coin designer Joaquin Jimenez.

🔎		Monaco	06 Oct. 2021	10th wedding anniversary of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and Charlène, Princess of Monaco	20002 20003 20005	15,000	•
	Description : On the occasion of the wedding of the Monegasque princely couple, a commemorative coin was issued in 2011 showing Prince Albert II in profile on the back and Princess Charlène in profile on the front. For the 10th wedding anniversary, a coin was minted with updated portraits of the couple, whereby both heads are again shown in profile, but the visible part of the upper body of the Princess is in three‐quarter profile ‐ as if she were turning her right shoulder towards the Prince. At the top, "♦ MONACO ♦" designates the issuing country, each flanked by a diamond borrowed from the coat of arms of Monaco. At the bottom the occasion of issue "MARIAGE PRINCIER" (Royal Marriage) is indicated, flanked on the left by the wedding year "2011" and subsequently by a cornucopia as mint mark of the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Pessac, on the right by the square mintmaster's logo of the French chief engraver Joaquin Jimenez and the year of issue "2021".

🔎		Estonia	20 Oct. 2021	Celebrating the Wolf as the Estonian national animal 1st coin of the national symbols of Estonia series	20002 20007 20008	1,000,000	•
	Description : The wolf is a symbol of wild and intact nature. It has dominated Estonian forests and swamps since time immemorial. With its distinctive social and territorial behaviour, it courageously defends its territory and protects and respects its pack, the family unit. He is a survival artist who appreciates seclusion and has charisma. These qualities qualify it as a symbol for Estonia and its inhabitants; thus, the Eurasian wolf was chosen as Estonia's national animal in 2018. A first coin design dedicated to the wolf, however, evoked associations with the Turkish right‐wing extremist Grey Wolves. A tip from a coin forum that had realised the association then led to the present modified design by Maria Meos. It shows a howling wolf now turned to the left on a tree trunk, in front of the silhouette of a spruce forest and under a starry sky. At the top of the coin is "CANIS LUPUS", the Latin scientific name of the wolf, on the left is the country of issue, "EESTI", and on the right the year of issue, "2021". The coin was minted by the Lithuanian mint Lietuvos monetų kalykla in Vilnius.

🔎		Slovenia	25 Oct. 2021	200th anniversary of the establishment of the Carniola Provincial Museum	20002 20003 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : With the death of Henry of Carinthia, the Margraviate of Carniola fell to Habsburg in 1335 and Ljubljana became the capital of the territory ‐ called a duchy from 1364 ‐ which belonged to the Holy Roman Empire and was considered part of Inner Austria. On the 5th of October 1821, the Krainer Landtag decided to establish a regional museum, the Carniolan Estates Museum ‐ today it is considered the oldest scientific and cultural institution in Slovenia. Emperor Franz I granted permission to purchase the Sigmund Zois von Edelstein mineral collection. Renamed the Carniolan National Museum in 1826, it was opened in Ljubljana on the 4th of October 1831, in the building of the Caesareo Regii Lyceum Labacense, next to St. Nicholas Cathedral. The naturalist Franz von Hohenwart (1771‐1844) donated large parts of his natural history and mineral collection to the museum. In honour of Rudolf, the heir to the throne of the Austro‐Hungarian monarchy, the museum was renamed the Carniolan Regional Museum ‐ Rudolfinum in 1882. In the same year, the museum acquired the freshly recovered bronze Situla of Vaj of Illyrian origin, dated to the 5th century BC and assigned to the Hallstatt period. It is now one of the most important exhibits in a museum that opened on the 2nd of December 1888, became the National Museum of Yugoslavia in 1921 after the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was founded in 1918, and has been the National Museum of Slovenia since Slovenia's independence in 1991. Its logo refers to the Situla of Vaj. The four concentric arcs of the logo are taken up by the coin designer Lana Semečnik as a motif and supplemented with the Slovenian and German historical names and the founding year of the museum to form concentric circles: "KRANJSKI STANOVSKI MUSEJ KRAINISCH STÄNDISCHES MUSEUM" (Carniola State Musee), "1821 DEŽELNI MUZEJ ZA KRANSJSKO" (1821 Regional Museum for Carniola), "KRAINISCHES LANDESMUSEUM RUDOLFINUM" (Carniolan Regional Museum Rudolfinum) and "SLOVENIJA 2021" (Slovenia 2021) for the issuing country and the year of issue. The coin was produced without mint mark by the Slovak mint Mincovňa Kremnica š.p. in Kremnica.

🔎		Malta	26 Oct. 2021	Tarxien Temples 6th coin of the Maltese Prehistoric Sites series	20002 20007 20008	181,000	•
	Description : In 1914, a farmer in Tarxien discovered large limestone blocks while ploughing. Due to the discovery of the nearby hypogeum of Ħal‐Saflieni, which became known in 1902, he suspected they might have archaeological significance and informed the director of the national museum, Themistocles Zammit. He immediately began excavations, which by 1920 had uncovered four distinct, interconnected temples dating between 3600 and 2500 BC, the final phase of the Neolithic period. The discovery of the temple complex contributed to the development of Malta's national identity and confirmed the existence of an ancient culture on the Maltese islands. In 1992, the Tarxien Temples were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Megalithic Temples of Malta. The coin, designed by Noel Galea Bason, shows the central temple built between 2900 and 2500 BC. Below it is the altar ‐ presumably used for animal sacrifices ‐ of the Western Temple built around 3000 BC, which is now kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Malta in Valletta. Spirals are depicted as an ornament on it. The issue occasion "TARXIEN TEMPLES 3600‐2500 BC" is written in three lines at the top. On the right are the designer's initials "NGB" and at the bottom the country of issue "MALTA" and the year of issue "2021". The coin was produced without 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 the square mintmaster's mark represents the French chief engraver Joaquin Jimenez. Specimens included in coin sets bear an "F" (for France) in the 6 o'clock star.

🔎		Vatican City	26 Oct. 2021	700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri	20002 20003 20005	86,300	•
	Description : Durante degli Alighieri called "Dante" (1265‐1321), Italian philosopher, was one of the most important poets of the European Middle Ages. With the Divine Comedy, written in Old Italian (or Tuscan), he overcame the Latin that had dominated until then and made Italian a literary language. The work is considered an Italian national epic. Dante was born in Florence. His family belonged to the Guelfish‐minded city nobility. Ghibellines and Guelfs fought fierce feuds that revolved around the relationship between imperial and papal power and authority (described as the two swords theory). Depending on the current government in the municipalities, supporters of one or the other party were expelled from the city and sent into exile. In 1296 and 1301 Dante was a member of the city council "Council of the Hundred". He opposed the attempt to annex Florence and Tuscany to the Papal States and was consequently fined and excluded from all public office on the 27th of January 1302. As he stayed away from Florence and did not pay the fine, his property remaining in the city was confiscated. In March 1302, he was sentenced to death by burning if he returned to the city. His wife Gemma di Manetto Donati did not follow him into exile, while his three sons ‐ in contrast to one daughter ‐ had to leave Florence when they turned 13 years of age. In 1315, he refused an offer from his hometown, which he considered shameful, to be allowed to return to Florence if he paid a fine and made a public apology. After years in Upper and Central Italy, he died in Ravenna in 1321. The commemorative coin designed by Patrizio Daniele to mark the 700th anniversary of his death shows, on the left, an image of Dante inspired by the statue created by Enrico Pazzi in 1895 in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence and Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of the Signoria, the government of the Republic of Florence, in the background. This was built in 1299‐1314 and thus only completed after Dante's banishment. Since 1872, the Palazzo Vecchio has served as Florence's city hall and today also as a museum. Dante's death mask is exhibited there. Since 1992 the old town of Florence has been given UNESCO‐World heritage status. At the bottom of the coin, "Dante" is written in handwriting‐like characters illustrating the reason for the issue, and below that "1321‐2021" the years of death and issue respectively. At the top right the issuing country is "CITTÁ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City) and above it is the initial "R", the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. The designer's name "P.DANIELE" is below the bust, the initials "A.M.INC." (INC. = Incisore / Engraver) of the medallist Annalisa Masini are to the right of it.

🔎		Belgium	27 Oct. 2021	500th anniversary of the issuance of the Carolus guilder	20002 20007 20008	155,000	•
	Description : Charles V (1500‐1558), a member of the Habsburg dynasty, was ruler of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1506 and from 1516, as Carlos I, King of Spain and its overseas colonies, more precisely of Castile, León and Aragon in personal union. In 1520, he was crowned Roman‐German king by Archbishop Hermann V von Wied of Cologne in the imperial cathedral of Aachen and emperor by Pope Clement VII in Bologna in 1530. Under his reign, the economy prospered. It is therefore no coincidence that Charles V laid a number of cornerstones of today's coinage. In 1521, new types of coins were issued along with a new denomination, including the golden Charles florin, whose value corresponded to the average wage for four days' work of a Brussels master bricklayer. It depicts Charles V, beardless with long hair, wearing his armour and holding his sword and orb. The inscription reads "KAROLVS▪D:G▪ROMANOR▪IMP▪Z▪HISPAR▪REX" (Latin: KAROLVS Dei Gratia ROMANORum IMPerator et HISPAnoRum Rex = Charles by the Grace of God Emperor of the Romans and King of the Spanish). In 1524, the Charles florin also became the unit of account (imperial coinage). Because of the size of his empire, state interventionism and centralism, Charles V is considered by some to be the "Father of Europe". The silver Charles florin, introduced in 1543, was depicted on a Belgian "ECU" in 1987. The coin, designed by Luc Luycx, shows the effigy of Charles V on the right as a side‐inverted detail of the copy painted (after a lost original by Titian) by Peter Paul Rubens Portrait of Carlos V and Isabel de Portugal, now in the Liria Palace in Madrid. The chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece with the golden ram's skin as pendant is, however, depicted differently than in the original. Below it is written "CAROLUS V" (Charles V) as the occasion of issue. A golden Charles guilder is depicted at the top left, with the country abbreviation "BE" (Belgium) and "2021" for the year of issue below it. At the bottom left is the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele as the logo of the mint master Ingrid Van Herzele and to the right the staff of Hermes the mint mark of the Royal Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Houten, as well as the designer's signet "LL" at the bottom.

🔎		Slovakia	26 Nov. 2021	100th birthday of Alexander Dubček	20002 20003 20005	1,000,000	•
	Description : Alexander Dubček (1921‐1992) was a politician from the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia. As General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communists, he became the leading figure of the Prague Spring of 1968, which sought liberal reforms. In 1989, he joined the anti‐communist opposition and, together with the Czech Václav Havel, became one of the main figures in the Velvet Revolution, as a result of which he was elected Chairman of the federal Czechoslovak Parliament (1989‐1991). In 1992, he became leader of the Slovak Social Democratic Party. He died on the the 7th of November 1992 following a car accident. Some weeks later, on the 1st of January 1993 the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republics saw the creation of two new states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The profile facing left is overlaid in the lower part by the name "Alexander Dubček" and his living years "1921" to "1992", shown on two separate lines. On the left is the name of the issuing country "SLOVENSKO" (Slovakia), on the right the year of issue "2021" and below that is the "MK" between two embossing stamps, the mint mark of the Slovak mint Mincovňa Kremnica š.p. in Kremnica. At the bottom right below it the initials "BR" of the designer Branislav Ronai.

🔎		Andorra	15 Dec. 2021	100th anniversary of the santification of Our Lady of Meritxell	20002 20003 20005	73,750	•
	Description : Around the Eastern Pyrenees there are five Marian shrines: Lourdes, Torreciudad, the Basílica del Pilar in Zaragoza, the Monastery of Montserrat and the shrine of Meritxell. According to legend, on Epiphany Day in the 12th century, churchgoers near Meritxell noticed a miraculously blossoming rose bush beside the snow‐covered path, under which they found a statue of the Madonna. They gave it to the priest in Canillo, who locked it in the church. Mysteriously, however, the next day it was back at the place where it had been found. The same thing happened after a handover to the church of Encamp. For that reason, it was decided to build a chapel where the Madonna was found and place an 83 cm high polychrome painted wood statue in an altar niche. In 1873, the Consell General de les Valls (General Council of the Valleys ‐ the Andoran parliament) declared the patron saint of Andorra. On the 8th of September 1921 on this day in 1278, Andorra became a co‐Principality by the treaty called Pareatges), the statue of the Virgin Mary was consecrated. Since then, the day of Nostra Senyora de Meritxell, the country's patron saint, has been celebrated as the bank holidays of the Principality of Andorra. The original chapel was built in the Romanesque architectural style and was completely renovated in the 17th century. In 1972, the building caught fire the night after the bank holidays and was completely destroyed. No remains of the Romanesque statue were found, so there is speculation that it was arson to cover up its theft. The new sacred building, designed by the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, was inaugurated on the 8th of September 1976 and elevated to the status of basilica minor by Pope Francis in 2014. In the basilica minor is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus by Andorran artist Jaume Rubia and presents a replica of the Romanesque original. The coin, designed by Orietta Rossi, shows the replica of the statue of the Virgin Mary with the inscription "MERITXELL" in the base in front of the interior of the new basilica, flanked on the left by the year of consecration "1921" and on the right by the year of issue "2021". At the top right is a six‐petalled flower in a circle, a decorative element of the statue. At the bottom, "ANDORRA" is the name of the issuing country. Andorran coins are minted alternately in the countries of the co‐Princes of Andorra; in 2021 this concerned France with the Monnaie de Paris in Pessac.

🔎		Andorra	15 Dec. 2021	Let’s take care of our elderly	20002 20003 20005	70,000	•
	Description : The commemorative coin is dedicated to the senior citizens who fared badly during the COVID‐19 pandemic, both from a health point of view and because of the social isolation they suffered. Eric Jover, Andorran Minister of Finance, pointed out that almost 90 % of the people who lost their lives to the coronavirus pandemic were over 65 years old. The country is committed to preventing the spread of the virus and protecting its citizens. The care for the Andorran elderly is expressed in the coin designed by Orietta Rossi by the hand of an old person resting in a younger hand stretched out to help. Below it is a stethoscope, above it ‐ as if trapped in an isolation tent ‐ are seven SARS‐CoV‐2 viruses, whose spread seems to be prevented by the interconnected letters forming the word "ANDORRA". At the top, the issue occasion "CUIDEM LA NOSTRA GENT GRAN" (we take care of our senior citizens) is written in a semicircle, and on the left is the year of issue "2021". Andorran coins are minted alternately in the countries of the Princes of Andorra; in 2021 it was the turn of the Monnaie de Paris in Pessac.

⇓ 2022 ⇓

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	Images taken with authorisation by H....... Hamburg	20004	Coloured version of this Commemorative Coin in circulation EU‐legal‐technical specifications do not recongnise colour prints. The EU nevertheless tolerates them, as their numbers are very small and 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
20007	Images taken by Münzen Kreuzberg © "Münzen Kreuzberg 2021"	20008	enlarged Images taken by Münzen Kreuzberg © "Münzen Kreuzberg 2021"