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Euro coins
There are 8 euro coin denominations, ranging from 1 cent to 2 euros. The coins 1st came into use in 1999. They have a common reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the eurozone has its own design on the obverse, which means that each coin has a variety of different designs in circulation at once. 4 European microstates that are not members of the European Union (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City) use the euro as their currency & also have the right to mint coins with their own designs on the obverse side.

Obverse designs are chosen nationally, while the reverse and the currency as a whole is managed by the European Central Bank (ECB).

The euro came into existence on 1 January 1999. It had been a goal of the European Union (EU) & its predecessors since the 1960s. The Maastricht Treaty entered into force in 1993 with the goal of creating economic and monetary union by 1999 for all EU states except the UK & Denmark.

In 1999 the currency was born virtually & in 2002 notes & coins began to circulate.

As the EU's membership has since expanded in 2004, 2007 and 2013, with further expansions envisaged, the common face of all euro coins from the value of 10c & above were redesigned in 2007 to show a new map.

Slovenia joined the eurozone in 2007, Cyprus & Malta joined in 2008, Slovakia in 2009, Estonia in 2011, Latvia in 2014 & Lithuania in 2015, introducing 7 more national-side designs.Andorra started minting coins in 2014, so from 2015 there are 23 countries with their own national sides.

All coins have a common reverse side showing how much the coin is worth, with a design by Belgian designer Luc Luycx.

On the €1 & €2 coins, the landmass appeared more cohesive although borders were indicated. As in current issues, all coins featured 12 stars in their design.

The year featured on the coins can date back to 1999, when the currency was formally established (only Belgian, Finnish, French, Dutch & Spanish coins were struck with the 1999 date). These countries traditionally strike coins with the year of minting rather than the year it was put into circulation.

The obverse side varies from state to state, with each member allowed to choose its own design. Each of the 8 coins can have the same design, or can vary from coin to coin. In monarchies, the national side usually features a portrait of the country's monarch, often in a design carried over from the former currency. Republics tend to feature national monuments, symbols or stylised designs.

There are, however, some restrictions on the design: it must include 12 stars, the engraver's initials, & the year of issue. New issues must also include the name of the issuing country or an abbreviation of it. It may not repeat the denomination of the coin or the word euro unless it is in a different alphabet. This rule is flouted by Austria. The national side was also to remain unchanged until the end of 2008, unless a monarch depicted on a coin died or abdicated (such as in the case of the Vatican City's coins or Monegasque coins).

As of 2015 there are 23 countries (Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Vatican City) issuing coins with their own national sides, making it 184 different euro coins, not counting annual differences or commemorative coins.

Euro coins were designed in cooperation with organisations representing blind people & as a result they incorporate many features allowing them to be distinguished by touch alone. In addition, their visual appearance is designed to make them easy to tell apart for persons who cannot read the inscriptions on the coins.

Before the introduction of the euro, the current eurozone members issued their own individual national coinage, most of which featured mint marks, privy marks &/or mint master marks. These marks have been continued as a part of the national designs of the euro coins, as well.

As per a recommendation defined by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the European Union,[1] the national designs of each member's euro coin should contain a national identification in the form of spelling or abbreviation of the country's name. Of the fifteen members of the Eurozone at the time these recommendations were made, five national designs—those of Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany and Greece—did not meet the criteria outlined. Of these five, two (Finland in 2007 and Belgium in 2008) have changed or amended their design to follow these recommendations, and the other three are expected to follow suit in the coming years.

#euros #euro #europe

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