Finland · 35 years of the Erasmus Programme

Issue date1 Jul 2022

Total mintage400,000

EU maximum800,000

Editions3

Edge letteringSUOMI FINLAND + 3 lion heads

InscriptionFI / 1987-2022 / ERASMUS / OHJELMA-PROGRAMMI ET

DesignerJoaquin Jimenez

mintSuomen Rahapaja OY, Vantaa, Finnland

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin celebrates 35 years of the Erasmus programme. The design combines a well-known depiction of Erasmus as an intellectual driving force with a beam of connections symbolising the intellectual and human exchange between European students. Some of the connections form stars, from which the anniversary number 35 emerges.

The design

The coin design combines two main elements of the Erasmus programme: the original intellectual inspiration, Erasmus himself, and an allegory of his influence on Europe.

The former is symbolized by one of the best-known depictions of Erasmus.

The latter is represented by a beam of connections extending from one beacon to another across the coin, symbolizing the diverse intellectual and human exchange between European students.

In relation to Europe, some of these connections form stars emerging from the synergies between the countries.

The anniversary number 35 emerges from the stars in a contemporary graphic style.

The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.

Background on the topic

Desiderius Erasmus von Rotterdam was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, theologian and philologist. He lived from around 1466 to 1536 and stayed, among other places, in Paris, England, Italy, Basel and the Burgundian Netherlands of the time. Erasmus wrote predominantly in Latin, the common language of scholars of his era. One of his best-known works is the satire “The Praise of Folly”. He also published a Greek-Latin edition of the New Testament. He advocated education, linguistic precision and reform of church life without joining Martin Luther’s Reformation. His travels and his Europe-wide network of scholars made him a suitable namesake for a cross-border education programme.

The Erasmus programme was established in 1987 by the then European Community. It was intended to enable students to complete part of their studies in another European country. Financial grants, agreements between higher education institutions and the recognition of academic achievements completed abroad were intended to reduce practical obstacles. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), developed and tested within Erasmus, later facilitated the comparability and transfer of academic achievements.

Over time, further education and exchange measures were added. Since 2014, they have been grouped under the name Erasmus+. The programme is aimed not only at higher education students but also encompasses vocational education and training, schools, adult education, youth projects and sport. In addition to individual stays abroad, it funds cooperation between educational institutions and organisations.

The coin issue thus refers to an EU programme through which European cooperation becomes directly tangible for many people. The joint issue by numerous countries reflects the cross-border nature of the programme. The specific coin design resulted from a design competition and was subsequently selected in a Europe-wide online vote. The winning design was created by the French medallist Joaquin Jimenez. Thus, not only the occasion but also its visual representation was coordinated at European level.