Slovenia · 35 years of the Erasmus Programme

Issue date1 Jul 2022

Total mintage1,000,000

EU maximum1,000,000

Editions2

Edge letteringSLOVENIJA •

Inscription1987-2022 / PROGRAM / ERASMUS / SLOVENIJA

DesignerJoaquin Jimenez

mintUAB Lietuvos Monetų Kalykla, Lithuania

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin honours 35 years of the Erasmus programme. The design depicts Erasmus as the original intellectual inspiration, together with a network of connections symbolising the diverse intellectual and human exchange between European students. Some of the connections form stars from which the anniversary number 35 emerges; on the Luxembourg issue, a portrait of the Grand Duke can also be seen in the background.

The design

The coin design depicts 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 symbolized by one of the best-known depictions of Erasmus. The second is represented by a network of connections extending from one beacon to another across the coin, depicting 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 outer ring of the coin.

Background on the topic

The Erasmus Programme was established in 1987 by the then European Community (Europäische Gemeinschaft). Its name was also an acronym for “European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”. Its aim was to enable students to spend a limited period of time at a higher education institution in another European state. This included agreements between higher education institutions, financial grants and procedures for recognising academic achievements completed abroad. The intention was to prevent a semester abroad from prolonging studies or not being recognised academically.

The European education and mobility programmes were later gradually merged and expanded. Since 2014, the overarching programme has been known as Erasmus+. It is no longer aimed exclusively at higher education students, but also covers school education, vocational education and training, adult education, youth exchanges and sport. In addition to individual stays, it supports cooperation between educational institutions and organisations in different states.

The namesake was Erasmus von Rotterdam, a Dutch humanist, theologian and philologist of the Renaissance. He lived from around 1466 to 1536 and stayed, among other places, in Paris, England, Italy, Löwen, Basel and Freiburg im Breisgau. Erasmus wrote predominantly in Latin and maintained contact with scholars in numerous European regions. His best-known works include the satirical The Praise of Folly (“Lob der Torheit”) and an edition of the Greek New Testament. His travels, his correspondence extending across national borders and his shared European scholarly outlook made him a fitting namesake for an exchange programme.

The anniversary was suitable for a joint issue by the euro-area countries because the programme is not linked to a single country, but is based on cross-border cooperation. The issue is also part of a series of joint 2-euro commemorative coins on European themes. The specific design was decided by a public online vote; beforehand, a specialist jury had selected six entries from a design competition.