2 euro coin
The 2 euro coin is the highest-value euro coin and has been used since the introduction of the euro in 2002. The coin is made of two alloys: the inner part of nickel brass, the outer part of copper-nickel. All coins have a common reverse side and country-specific national sides. The coin has been used since 2002, with the present common side design dating from 2007.
The €2 coin is the euro coin subject to legal-tender commemorative issues and hence there is a large number of national sides, including five issues of identical commemorative sides by all eurozone members.
History
The coin dates from 2002, when euro coins and notes were introduced in the then 12-member eurozone and its related territories. Despite this, the coins of some countries were issued beginning in 1999. The common side was designed by Luc Luycx, a Belgian artist who won a Europe-wide competition to design the new coins. The designs of the one- and two-euro coins were intended to show the European Union as a whole with the then-15 countries more closely joined together than on the 10 to 50-cent coins.The national sides, then 15, were each designed according to national competitions, though to specifications which applied to all coins such as the requirement of including twelve stars. National designs were not allowed to change until the end of 2008, unless a monarch died or abdicated. This happened in Monaco and the Vatican City resulting in three new designs in circulation. However, starting in 2007, some national designs underwent minor changes due to regulations requiring national designs to meet a series of specifications.
In 2004, the very first €2 commemorative coin was issued by Greece to celebrate the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. By 2007 nearly all states had issued a commemorative issue, and the first eurozone-wide commemorative was issued to celebrate the Treaty of Rome.
As the EU's membership has since expanded in 2004 and 2007, with further expansions envisaged, the common face of all euro coins from the value of 10 euro cent and above were redesigned in 2007 to show a new map. This map showed Europe, not just the EU, as one continuous landmass; however, Cyprus was moved west as the map cut off after the Bosphorus. The 2007 redesign coincided with the first enlargement of the eurozone in that year, with the entry of Slovenia. Hence, the Slovenian design was added to the designs in circulation.
Cyprus and Malta joined in 2008 and Slovakia in 2009, bringing three more designs. Also in 2009, the second eurozone-wide issue of a 2-euro commemorative coin was issued, celebrating ten years of the introduction of the euro. In 2011, Estonia joined the eurozone. In 2012, the third eurozone-wide issue of a 2-euro commemorative coin was issued, celebrating 10 years of euro coins and notes. In 2014, Latvia joined the eurozone. That same year, Andorra began minting its own designs after winning the right to do so. In 2015, Lithuania joined the eurozone. Also in 2015, the fourth eurozone-wide issue for this denomination was issued, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the flag of Europe. In 2022, the fifth eurozone-wide issue for this denomination was issued, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Erasmus Programme. Finally, in 2023, Croatia joined the eurozone.
Design
The coins are composed of two alloys. The inner circle is composed of three layers and the outer ring of copper-nickel giving them a two colour appearance. The diameter of the coins is 25.75 mm, the thickness is 2.20 mm and the mass is 8.5 grams. The coins' edges are finely milled with lettering, though the exact design of the edge can vary between states with some choosing to write the issuing state's name or denomination around the edge. The coins have been used from 2002, though some are dated 1999 which is the year the euro was created as a currency, but not put into general circulation.Reverse (common) side
The reverse was designed by Luc Luycx and displays a map of Europe, not including Iceland and cutting off, in a semicircle, at the Bosphorus, north through the middle of Ukraine, then Russia and through northern Scandinavia. Cyprus is located further west than it should be and Malta is shown disproportionately large so that it appears on the map. The map has numerous indentations giving an appearance of topography rather than a flat design. Six fine lines cut across the map except where there is landmass and have a star at each end — reflecting the twelve stars on the flag of Europe. Across the map is the word EURO, and a large number 2 appears to the left hand side of the coin. The designer's initials, LL, appear next to Cyprus.In 2007, the map was updated to reflect the EU's enlargements in 2004 and 2007. Other than depicting the newly added countries, the new design was much the same. The map was less detailed and showed no national borders. The vertical lines running across the rightmost third of the coin are interrupted in the middle to make way for eastern Europe.
Obverse (national) sides
The obverse side of the coin depends on the issuing country. All have to include the name or an abbreviation of the issuing country. The national side of circulation coins shall bear a circle of 12 stars that shall fully surround the national design, including the year mark and the indication of the issuing Member State’s name. The side cannot repeat the denomination of the coin unless the issuing country uses an alphabet other than Latin. Currently, Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria are the only such countries. Greece engraves "2 ΕΥΡΩ" on its coins and Bulgaria engraves "ЕВРО". Austria ignores this rule, engraving "2 EURO" on its coins, hence will have to change its design to comply this rule.Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Spain minted coins dated 1999, 2000 and 2001 although these entered circulation in 2002. Monaco minted coins dated 2001 although these entered circulation in 2002 too.
| State | Details | Years of minting | Image |
 EdgesThe edges of the 2 euro coin vary according to the issuing state;Potential designsAustria, Germany and Greece will also at some point need to update their designs to comply with guidelines stating they must include the issuing state's name or initial, and not repeat the denomination of the coin. On the other hand, Slovenia and Greece have to comply with the star rule.In addition, there are several EU states that have not yet adopted the euro, some of them have already agreed upon their coin designs however it is not known exactly when they will adopt the currency, and therefore these are not yet minted. See enlargement of the Eurozone for expected entry dates of these countries. Commemorative issuesEach state, allowed to issue coins, may also mint two commemorative coins each year. Only €2 coins may be used in this way and there is a limit on the number that can be issued. The coin must show the normal design criteria, such as the twelve stars, the year and the issuing country. In 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2022 every then-eurozone state issued a common coin to commemorate events of Europe-wide importance. Eurozone-wide issues do not count as a state's two-a-year issue.Types of Commemorative €2 coinsThere are several types of Commemorative €2 Coins:
Commemorative coins issued by a single countryAs a rule, euro countries may each issue only two €2 commemorative coins per year. Exceptionally, they are allowed to issue another, provided that it is a joint issuance and commemorates events of European-wide importance.Commemorative coins issued by a number of countriesThere are €2 commemorative coins that have been issued on the same topic by different member states, two to celebrate Louis Braille's 200th birthday, four to celebrate 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, two to commemorate 50 years of the Elysee Treaty and three to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the independent Baltic states.Commemorative coins that are issued jointly by all eurozone countriesSo far, there have been five commemorative coins that the eurozone countries have issued jointly: the first one, in 2007, to commemorate the "50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome"; the second one, in 2009, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the euro is celebrated with a coin called the "10th anniversary of Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union"; the third one, in 2012, to commemorate 10 years of the euro coins and notes; the fourth one, in 2015, to commemorate 30 years of the Flag of Europe; and the fifth one, in 2022, to commemorate 35 years of the Erasmus Programme.Proposing a topic for a €2 Commemorative CoinRole of the European Central BankDesigning and issuing the coins is the competence of the individual euro countries. The ECB's role regarding the commemorative but also all other coins is to approve the maximum volumes of coins that the individual countries may issue."Unlike banknotes, euro coins are still a national competence and not the ECB's. If a euro area country intends to issue a €2 commemorative coin it has to inform the European Commission. There is no reporting by euro area countries to the ECB. The Commission publishes the information in the multilingual Official Journal of the EU. The Official Journal is the authoritative source upon which the ECB bases its website updates on euro coins. The reporting process, the translation into 22 languages and publishing lead to unavoidable delays. The coin pages on the ECB’s website cannot therefore always be updated as timely as users might wish. If the ECB learns of a euro coin that has not yet featured in the Official Journal, only its image will be posted on the ECB’s website, with a brief statement that confirmation by the European Commission is pending." Role of the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, is not specific on the topic of proposing themes for €2 commemorative coins. It is not mentioned how the €2 commemorative coins that are in circulation today came about.Similar coinsThe coins were minted in several of the participating countries, many using blanks produced at the Birmingham Mint in Birmingham, England. A problem has arisen in differentiation of coins made using similar blanks and minting techniques.
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