Portugal · 35 years of the Erasmus Programme

Issue date1 Jul 2022

Total mintage511,804

EU maximum765,000

Editions3

Edge lettering5 Wappenschilde + 7 castles, evenly distributed

Inscription1987-2022 / PROGRAMA / ERASMUS / PORTUGAL / CASA DA MOEDA

DesignerJoaquin Jimenez

mintImprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda S.A., Lisboa

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin honours the 35th anniversary of the Erasmus programme. The design combines a well-known depiction of Erasmus as an intellectual inspiration with a network of rays of light symbolising the intellectual and human exchange between European students. Some of the connections form stars, from which the anniversary number 35 emerges; in the Luxembourg issue, a portrait of the Grand Duke can also be seen in the background.

The design

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

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

The second by a beam of connections running from one beacon to another across the coin, representing 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 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

Erasmus von Rotterdam was a Dutch humanist, theologian and Renaissance philologist. He lived approximately from 1466 to 1536 and stayed, among other places, in Paris, England, Italy, the Netherlands and Basel. His work across Europe, his extensive correspondence and his interest in education made him the namesake of the exchange programme. One of his best-known works is the satirical Praise of Folly (Lob der Torheit). He also published a Greek edition of the New Testament, which he combined with a revised Latin translation. The depiction on the coin is based on a portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger (Hans Holbein der Jüngere), showing Erasmus writing.

The Erasmus programme was established in 1987 by the European Communities. Its name was also used as an acronym for “European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”. The aim was to facilitate study periods in other European countries organisationally and financially. This included agreements between higher education institutions, grants for participants and the recognition of academic achievements completed abroad. In this way, a semester abroad was not intended to result in an unnecessary extension of the period of study.

Over time, additional participating countries and fields of activity were added. Since 2014, higher education exchange has been part of Erasmus+. In addition to study and teaching in higher education, this EU programme also covers vocational education and training, school education, adult education, youth projects and sport. Not all participating states belong to the European Union; several European partner countries also participate on the basis of corresponding agreements.

The anniversary provided an opportunity for a joint coin issue because the programme is directly based on cross-border cooperation and affects many member states simultaneously. Such joint issues differ from national commemorative coins in that several euro countries use the same basic design. Erasmus thus represents both the historical tradition of the exchange of European scholars and the namesake of institutionalised mobility in European educational cooperation.