Austria · 35 years of the Erasmus Programme

Issue date1 Jul 2022

Total mintage2,600,000

EU maximum1,060,000

Editions3

Edge lettering2 EURO ★★★ × 4, alternating upright/inverted

Inscription1987-2022 / ERASMUS / PROGRAMM / REPUBLIK / ÖSTERREICH

DesignerJoaquin Jimenez

mintMünze Österreich AG, Wien

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin marks the 35th anniversary of the Erasmus programme. The design created by Joaquin Jimenez combines a well-known depiction of Erasmus with a network of rays of light symbolizing 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 features a combination of two main elements of the Erasmus Programme: Erasmus himself, the original intellectual inspiration, and an allegory of his influence on Europe.

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

The second by a ray of connections extending from one beacon to another across the coin, representing the diverse intellectual and human exchange between European students.

With reference 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 twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.

Background on the topic

Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam was a Dutch humanist, theologian and philologist of the Renaissance. He lived approximately from 1466 to 1536 and stayed, among other places, in Paris, England, Italy, Basel and the Habsburg Netherlands. His travels throughout Europe and his extensive correspondence represent a scholarly culture that transcended political and linguistic borders. Erasmus advocated education, linguistic precision and a renewal of Christianity. One of his best-known works is the satirical *The Praise of Folly* (*Lob der Torheit*). He also published a Greek-Latin edition of the New Testament. His name was chosen for the exchange programme because his biography was associated with learning and scholarly exchange in various parts of Europe.

The Erasmus Programme was established in 1987 by the European Community of that time. Initially, its focus was on the mobility of higher-education students. Study stays in another participating country were to be facilitated organisationally and financially, and completed study achievements were to be recognised by the home university. The programme also promoted cooperation between higher-education institutions. The designation ERASMUS was simultaneously used as an acronym for “European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”.

Over time, the circle of participating states grew. Since 2014, higher-education exchange has been part of Erasmus+. This broader programme includes not only higher-education institutions but also vocational education, schools, adult education, youth projects and sport. Support is provided not only to learners but also, among others, to teachers, trainers and other educational staff.

The anniversary provided an opportunity for a joint commemorative coin because Erasmus is one of the directly tangible programmes of European cooperation. Stays abroad, joint study programmes and the recognition of study achievements link European policy with everyday educational life. The identical design issued by several euro-area countries also underlines the programme’s cross-border character: the occasion concerns not the history of a single country but a jointly developed European educational initiative.