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CC 215 2015
Blister pack
coloured BU
Blister pack BU
France · 30 years of the EU flag
Mintage10,000
Issue price€10.00
Issue date16 Nov 2015
PackagingBlister pack
Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted
Market price€125.00
Mintage information from source: 10.000 col.
Issue occasion
The commemorative coin marks the 30th anniversary of the EU flag. The design shows the flag as a symbol of the connection between peoples and cultures with shared ideas and ideals; twelve stars take on the form of people and welcome the birth of a new Europe. Also shown are the inscription “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE”, the years “1985-2015” and the initials of the designer Georgios Stamatopoulos.
The design
The design shows the EU flag as a symbol bringing together peoples and cultures with shared visions and ideals for shaping a better future. Twelve stars take the form of people and welcome the birth of a new Europe. At the upper right along the coin’s rim, the issuing state “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” and the years “1985-2015” can be seen. The mintmark and the mintmaster’s mark are located on the right between the flag and the date. The designer’s initials (Georgios Stamatopoulos) are shown at the lower right.
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 year 1985 does not refer to the creation of the star banner. The Council of Europe (Europarat), an international organisation independent of the European Union, had already adopted the emblem in 1955. Three decades later, the heads of state or government of the European Communities of the time decided to use it for their institutions as well. Since 1986, it has been flown in front of the buildings of the Communities. The European Union itself was not established until 1993, when the Maastricht Treaty (Vertrag von Maastricht) entered into force.
The number of stars does not correspond to the number of member states. It therefore remained unchanged despite several enlargements and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom. In this context, twelve stands for unity and completeness; the circular arrangement refers to solidarity. The orientation of the five-pointed stars is also specified: all are upright and are not rotated around a centre like rays. The commonly used term “EU flag” thus conceals the fact that the symbol is older than the EU and continues to be used by the Council of Europe as well.
The issue was not an exclusively French initiative, but a joint issue by the states of the euro area. Such joint commemorative coins are intended to address a subject that represents not only a single member state but European cooperation as a whole. Previously, this approach had been used for the anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, ten years of Economic and Monetary Union, and ten years of euro cash, among other subjects.
A competition was held among the European mints to create the design. A jury selected five proposals, on which citizens and residents of the euro area could vote online. Thus, the appearance was not determined solely by government bodies. France, like the other participating issuing states, adopted the selected common basic design, but supplemented it with its national designation and the prescribed mint marks. The anniversary was well suited to a joint issue because the flag is used by all EU institutions, regardless of changing numbers of members.
The number of stars does not correspond to the number of member states. It therefore remained unchanged despite several enlargements and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom. In this context, twelve stands for unity and completeness; the circular arrangement refers to solidarity. The orientation of the five-pointed stars is also specified: all are upright and are not rotated around a centre like rays. The commonly used term “EU flag” thus conceals the fact that the symbol is older than the EU and continues to be used by the Council of Europe as well.
The issue was not an exclusively French initiative, but a joint issue by the states of the euro area. Such joint commemorative coins are intended to address a subject that represents not only a single member state but European cooperation as a whole. Previously, this approach had been used for the anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, ten years of Economic and Monetary Union, and ten years of euro cash, among other subjects.
A competition was held among the European mints to create the design. A jury selected five proposals, on which citizens and residents of the euro area could vote online. Thus, the appearance was not determined solely by government bodies. France, like the other participating issuing states, adopted the selected common basic design, but supplemented it with its national designation and the prescribed mint marks. The anniversary was well suited to a joint issue because the flag is used by all EU institutions, regardless of changing numbers of members.