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CC 31 2007
Coincard
BU
Coincard
Luxembourg · 50 years of the Treaties of Rome
Mintage15,000
Issue price€9.00
Issue date25 Mar 2007
PackagingCoincard
Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted
Market price€15.00
Issue occasion
The commemorative coin marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, signed by the six founding members in Rome on 25 March 1957. The design shows the treaty document in front of the star-shaped paving of Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, the place where it was signed. Above it is “Europe” in the respective national language; the design is complemented by the occasion for issue and the twelve stars of the European Union.
The design
The coin’s centre depicts the treaty document signed by the six founding members against the background of the star-shaped paving of Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, designed by Michelangelo, where the treaty was signed on 25 March 1957. Directly above the treaty document, the word “Europe” is inscribed in the respective language. The inscriptions above and below the overall design state the occasion for the issue and the issuing country in the respective language version(s), as well as the year 2007. The coin’s outer ring bears the twelve stars of the European Union.
Background on the topic
The “Treaties of Rome” (“Römischen Verträgen”) refers to two separate agreements: the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (Vertrag zur Gründung der Europäischen Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft; EWG) and the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Vertrag zur Gründung der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft; Euratom). The parties to the treaties were Belgium, Bundesrepublik Deutschland, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Both treaties entered into force at the beginning of 1958.
The European Economic Community was intended to bring the economies of the participating states into closer cooperation. Measures included the gradual abolition of customs duties, a common external tariff and the development of a common market. This was intended to permit the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. Common policy areas were also introduced, particularly agriculture and trade. This reflected the post-Second World War idea that lasting cooperation and economic interdependence could make new conflicts between the European states more difficult.
Euratom had a different, more narrowly defined task. The Community was to coordinate the peaceful use of nuclear energy, promote research and investment, and regulate the supply and control of nuclear materials collectively. In the 1950s, many governments regarded nuclear energy as a possible response to rising energy demand and dependence on imported fuels.
The treaties built on the existing European Coal and Steel Community, but extended cooperation to large parts of the economy. The institutions and procedures they created were subsequently modified several times. The European Economic Community developed into the European Community, which ultimately became part of the present-day European Union. Euratom continues to exist as a separate treaty-based community.
The signing ceremony took place in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitoline Hill, part of today’s Capitoline Museums complex (Kapitolinischen Museumskomplex). The location linked the new European institutions with Rome as a historical point of reference.
For the anniversary, the euro-area states issued a joint 2-euro commemorative coin for the first time. The uniform design emphasized that the Treaties of Rome were not merely a matter of national foreign policy, but a common foundation of European integration. The inscriptions and issuing countries, however, remained adapted to national circumstances.
The European Economic Community was intended to bring the economies of the participating states into closer cooperation. Measures included the gradual abolition of customs duties, a common external tariff and the development of a common market. This was intended to permit the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. Common policy areas were also introduced, particularly agriculture and trade. This reflected the post-Second World War idea that lasting cooperation and economic interdependence could make new conflicts between the European states more difficult.
Euratom had a different, more narrowly defined task. The Community was to coordinate the peaceful use of nuclear energy, promote research and investment, and regulate the supply and control of nuclear materials collectively. In the 1950s, many governments regarded nuclear energy as a possible response to rising energy demand and dependence on imported fuels.
The treaties built on the existing European Coal and Steel Community, but extended cooperation to large parts of the economy. The institutions and procedures they created were subsequently modified several times. The European Economic Community developed into the European Community, which ultimately became part of the present-day European Union. Euratom continues to exist as a separate treaty-based community.
The signing ceremony took place in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitoline Hill, part of today’s Capitoline Museums complex (Kapitolinischen Museumskomplex). The location linked the new European institutions with Rome as a historical point of reference.
For the anniversary, the euro-area states issued a joint 2-euro commemorative coin for the first time. The uniform design emphasized that the Treaties of Rome were not merely a matter of national foreign policy, but a common foundation of European integration. The inscriptions and issuing countries, however, remained adapted to national circumstances.