EMU commemorative coin: and the winner is…

EU citizens and residents have selected a design, symbolizing the euro as the latest step in the long history of European economic integration, for a new euro coin that will be issued next January to commemorate ten years of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

More than 141,000 people voted in an online competition to select the winning design from a choice of five.

The winning design was created by George Stamatopoulos who is a sculptor at the Central Bank of Greece. Commemorative coins bearing this design will be issued by all euro-area member states, starting in January 2009. It is estimated that a total of 90 mln of these 2-euro coins will be issued.

The winning design symbolises that the euro is the latest step in the long history of trade, from pre-historic barter – evoked by the deliberately primitive design – to economic and monetary union.

Voting was open to all citizens and residents of the European Union and took place between January 31 and February 22. Voters could choose between five designs pre-selected by European Mint Directors. In all, 141,675 participated in the vote. The winning design received 41.48 % of the votes.

This is the second time that all euro-area countries issue a common commemorative euro coin. Regular euro coins have one side common to all and a national side that depicts national heroes, symbols or reigning monarchs. The first such common commemorative coin was issued in 2007 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in 2007.

Commemorative coins always have a value of 2 euro and are destined for circulation in the whole euro area, although they are often the subject of keen interest from coin collectors.

For more information on euro coins, including on commemorative coins – common or national – go to:

http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/the_euro/notes_coins8787_en.htm