Reverse
Ireland 2022 – 35 years of the Erasmus Programme · 2 Euro commemorative coin Reverse
Obverse
Ireland 2022 – 35 years of the Erasmus Programme · 2 Euro commemorative coin Obverse
CC 45220222 euro coinBUBank issue

Ireland · 35 years of the Erasmus Programme

Issue date1 Jul 2022
Total mintage500,000
EU maximum500,000
Editions1
Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted
Inscription1987-2022 / ERASMUS / PROGRAMME / €rée
DesignerJoaquin Jimenez
mintCentral Bank Currency Centre, Sandyford, Ireland

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin honours the 35th anniversary of the Erasmus programme. The design combines a depiction of Erasmus as an intellectual pioneer with a network of connections symbolising the diverse exchange between European students. Some connections form stars, from which the anniversary number 35 emerges.

The design
The coin design combines two main elements of the Erasmus Programme: its 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 series of connections extending from one beacon to another across the coin, symbolizing the diverse intellectual and human exchange between European students.

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

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

The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.
Background on the topic
Desiderius Erasmus von Rotterdam was a Dutch humanist, theologian and philologist of the Renaissance. He was probably born in 1466 and died in 1536 in Basel. Among other places, Erasmus lived and worked in Paris, England, Italy, the Netherlands of that time and Basel. He wrote predominantly in Latin and maintained contacts with scholars in various parts of Europe. His works included a Greek-Latin edition of the New Testament as well as writings on education, religion, morality and politics. His cross-border way of life made him the namesake of a European exchange programme.

The Erasmus programme began in 1987 as an initiative of the then European Community. Its name was also used as an acronym for “European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”. The programme was intended to facilitate study stays in other European countries. This included financial grants, agreements between higher education institutions and arrangements for recognising academic achievements completed abroad. Such recognition procedures were necessary to ensure that a semester abroad did not unnecessarily extend studies at the home institution.

Over time, more and more higher education institutions and states took part. The exchange, initially focused on students, expanded to include further opportunities for teaching staff and higher education personnel. Since 2014, these activities have been part of Erasmus+. In addition to higher education, this EU programme covers school education, vocational education and training, adult education, youth exchanges and sport. Several states outside the European Union can also participate.

For the anniversary, the finance ministers of the euro area decided on a joint issue with a uniform basic design. Such joint issues are used for themes that concern more than a single state. Erasmus was suitable for this because the programme is focused on cooperation between educational institutions and mobility across national borders. The specific design resulted from a competition: A panel of experts selected six proposals, after which a public online vote was held in the European Union. The selected design was created by the French medallist Joaquin Jimenez.

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2 Euro BU

Mintage
500,000
Market price
€4.90
Edge lettering
2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

Mintage by issue type

BU 500,000
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