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БългарскиReverse
Obverse
Estonia · 10 years of euro cash
Issue date2 Jan 2012
Total mintage2,000,000
EU maximum2,000,000
Editions1
InscriptionEESTI / 2002 / 2012 / V€
DesignerHelmut Andexlinger
mintStaatliche Münze Berlin (ohne Münzzeichen)
Issue occasion
The joint issue commemorates the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the euro. At the centre is the euro sign as a symbol of the currency’s international significance; people arranged around it, the ECB tower, ships, factories and wind turbines refer to the worlds of finance, trade, industry, energy, and research and development. The design by Helmut Andexlinger also bears the years 2002–2012.
The design
The euro sign in the inner part of the coin illustrates that the euro has become an exceptionally important factor in Europe and worldwide and has developed into a global player in the international monetary system over the last ten years. The design elements arranged around the euro sign symbolise the importance of the euro for people, the financial world (ECB Tower), trade (ships), industry (factories), the energy sector, and research and development (wind turbines). The artist’s initials “AH” are located below the image of the ECB Tower. The names of the issuing countries in their national languages are centred above the design, with the years 2002-2012 embossed below.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.
Background on the topic
The euro was created as part of the European Economic and Monetary Union. A central foundation was the Treaty of Maastricht, which established criteria for participation in the common currency, including requirements concerning price stability, public debt, budget deficits and exchange-rate stability. The common currency was intended to eliminate exchange-rate risks within the single market and facilitate cross-border payments and price comparisons.
The euro was already introduced as book money in eleven states on 1 January 1999. From that point onward, the conversion rates of the participating national currencies were irrevocably fixed. Monetary policy decisions for the euro area were transferred to the European System of Central Banks and the European Central Bank. Greece joined this stage in 2001.
Euro banknotes and coins came into circulation in twelve states on 1 January 2002. During a short transitional period, the former currencies could still be used in many places; afterwards, they lost their function as general legal tender. The cash changeover affected, among others, the Deutsche Mark, the French franc, the Italian lira, the Spanish peseta and the Austrian schilling. It was an organisationally extensive transition: cash holdings had to be produced and distributed, machines adapted, and prices displayed in both currencies.
By 2012, the euro area had grown through further accessions. The issue also took place during the European sovereign debt crisis, when the common monetary and financial framework was the subject of intensive political debate. The commemorative issue, by contrast, placed the common currency area and its everyday economic interconnections at the forefront.
The uniform coin design was not determined by authorities alone. Following a design competition, a panel of experts selected five proposals; citizens and residents of the euro area then made the final decision in a public online vote. The common issue was appropriate because the introduction of cash had affected almost all participating states simultaneously and was therefore suitable as a Europe-wide, rather than merely national, commemorative occasion.
The euro was already introduced as book money in eleven states on 1 January 1999. From that point onward, the conversion rates of the participating national currencies were irrevocably fixed. Monetary policy decisions for the euro area were transferred to the European System of Central Banks and the European Central Bank. Greece joined this stage in 2001.
Euro banknotes and coins came into circulation in twelve states on 1 January 2002. During a short transitional period, the former currencies could still be used in many places; afterwards, they lost their function as general legal tender. The cash changeover affected, among others, the Deutsche Mark, the French franc, the Italian lira, the Spanish peseta and the Austrian schilling. It was an organisationally extensive transition: cash holdings had to be produced and distributed, machines adapted, and prices displayed in both currencies.
By 2012, the euro area had grown through further accessions. The issue also took place during the European sovereign debt crisis, when the common monetary and financial framework was the subject of intensive political debate. The commemorative issue, by contrast, placed the common currency area and its everyday economic interconnections at the forefront.
The uniform coin design was not determined by authorities alone. Following a design competition, a panel of experts selected five proposals; citizens and residents of the euro area then made the final decision in a public online vote. The common issue was appropriate because the introduction of cash had affected almost all participating states simultaneously and was therefore suitable as a Europe-wide, rather than merely national, commemorative occasion.
eBay price analysis
For this issue, there is a price history based on actual eBay sales – with median, range and number of sales
View price analysis2 Euro BU
- Mintage
- 2,000,000
- Market price
- €6.99
Mintage by issue type
BU
2,000,000