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CC 366 2020
Coin set
Proof
Coin set proof
Germany · Brandenburg, Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam
Mintage78,000
Issue price€24.50
Issue date28 Jan 2020
PackagingCoin set
Edge letteringEINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT + Federal Eagle
Market price€139.00
Mintage information from source: 19200 | 14700
Varieties
5Germany, A · A · Mint mark A · Proof · Coin set · Mintage 19,200
Germany, D · D · Mint mark D · Proof · Coin set · Mintage 14,700
Germany, F · F · Mint mark F · Proof · Coin set · Mintage 14,700
Germany, G · G · Mint mark G · Proof · Coin set · Mintage 14,700
Germany, J · J · Mint mark J · Proof · Coin set · Mintage 14,700
Issue occasion
The commemorative coin is dedicated to Brandenburg as part of the Federal States series. The design shows Sanssouci Palace (Schloss Sanssouci), complemented by the inscription “BRANDENBURG”, the German country code “D”, the respective mint mark, the artist’s initials and the year “2020”. The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
The design
The coin motif depicts Sanssouci Palace. The upper half of the coin’s inner disc features the mintmark of the respective mint (“A”, “D”, “F”, “G” or “J”), the artist’s initials and the year “2020”. The lower half of the coin’s inner disc bears the inscription “BRANDENBURG” and the German country code “D”.
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
Sanssouci is located in Potsdam, the state capital of Brandenburg. Friedrich II of Prussia had the palace built between 1745 and 1747 based on designs by the architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. The king’s sketches and ideas were also incorporated into the planning. The French name “Sanssouci” means “without worries” and refers to the building’s function as a private retreat away from formal court life.
The single-storey palace was built above terraced vineyards. Its comparatively modest dimensions distinguish it from large-scale European residences. Friedrich II used Sanssouci primarily during the warmer months. There, he devoted himself to music, literature and philosophy and received selected guests. The complex thus also represents courtly culture and the concept of rule associated with enlightened absolutism: The monarch regarded himself as the rationally governing “first servant of the state”, while nevertheless maintaining largely unrestricted royal rule.
The park was later supplemented by further buildings, including Neues Palais, Bildergalerie and Chinesisches Haus. Over several generations, this created an extensive residential landscape. The Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (Schlösser und Parks von Potsdam und Berlin) have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. In accordance with his wishes, Friedrich II was buried on the uppermost terrace of Sanssouci in 1991.
The German Federal States series successively presented all the states of the Federal Republic with a building or landmark selected for each of them. The order was generally based on the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat. Brandenburg assumed this presidency for the period 2019/2020. Sanssouci was a suitable motif because the palace is closely associated with Potsdam, Brandenburg-Prussian history and the state’s present-day cultural identity. The issue thus marked less an anniversary of the palace than the rotating recognition of Brandenburg within the series.
The single-storey palace was built above terraced vineyards. Its comparatively modest dimensions distinguish it from large-scale European residences. Friedrich II used Sanssouci primarily during the warmer months. There, he devoted himself to music, literature and philosophy and received selected guests. The complex thus also represents courtly culture and the concept of rule associated with enlightened absolutism: The monarch regarded himself as the rationally governing “first servant of the state”, while nevertheless maintaining largely unrestricted royal rule.
The park was later supplemented by further buildings, including Neues Palais, Bildergalerie and Chinesisches Haus. Over several generations, this created an extensive residential landscape. The Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (Schlösser und Parks von Potsdam und Berlin) have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. In accordance with his wishes, Friedrich II was buried on the uppermost terrace of Sanssouci in 1991.
The German Federal States series successively presented all the states of the Federal Republic with a building or landmark selected for each of them. The order was generally based on the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat. Brandenburg assumed this presidency for the period 2019/2020. Sanssouci was a suitable motif because the palace is closely associated with Potsdam, Brandenburg-Prussian history and the state’s present-day cultural identity. The issue thus marked less an anniversary of the palace than the rotating recognition of Brandenburg within the series.