Deutsch
English
Français
Español
Italiano
Nederlands
Português
Slovenčina
Hrvatski
Slovenščina
Lietuvių
Eesti
Български
CC 57 2009
2 euro coin
Proof
2 Euro Proof
Ireland · 10 years WWU
Mintage2,000
Issue date1 Jan 2009
Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted
Market price€39.90
Issue occasion
The commemorative coin marks the tenth anniversary of the Economic and Monetary Union and the creation of the euro on 1 January 1999. The common design shows a stylised human figure whose left arm merges into the euro symbol; beneath it are the initials ΓΣ of the artist G. Stamatopoulos. The design is complemented by the name of the respective issuing country, the date “1999–2009”, the respective acronym of the Economic and Monetary Union, and the twelve stars of the European flag.
The design
The coin features a stylized human figure in the centre, whose left arm is extended by the euro symbol. The artist’s initials ΓΣ appear below the euro symbol. The name of the issuing country in its national language(s) appears along the upper edge of the design, while 1999-2009 and the acronym EMU, translated into the national language(s), appear along the lower edge.
The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
Background on the topic
The Economic and Monetary Union developed in several stages from European economic and monetary policy. It was given a political and legal framework by the Maastricht Treaty (Vertrag von Maastricht). Among other things, this established conditions for participation in the common currency. These included requirements concerning price stability, public finances, long-term interest rates and exchange-rate stability. Not all Member States of the European Union participated in the monetary union.
At the beginning of the third stage, the exchange rates of the participating national currencies were fixed irrevocably. The euro was initially used as book and deposit money, for example for transfers, financial markets and government accounting. Banknotes and coins did not enter circulation until 2002. During this transitional period, the previous currency units continued to exist legally as subdivisions of the euro. Common monetary policy was transferred to the Eurosystem, consisting of the European Central Bank and the national central banks. The primary objective of the European Central Bank is to ensure price stability.
Initially, eleven states belonged to the euro area. Greece joined before the introduction of cash; further countries followed later. In the issue year of the commemorative coin, Slovakia also introduced the euro, bringing the number of states participating in the common issue to sixteen. The monetary union was therefore not only a monetary-policy project, but also part of the economic integration of the European internal market. It eliminated exchange-rate risks between the participating states, while at the same time requiring greater coordination of their economic and budgetary policies.
The occasion was suitable for a common issue because it directly affected all countries of the euro area and was not tied to the history of a single nation. The design was decided by a public online vote. The selected artist worked as a sculptor at the mint of the Bank of Greece. Following the common issue marking the anniversary of the Treaties of Rome (Römische Verträge) in 2007, it was the second common 2-euro commemorative coin of the euro-area states.
At the beginning of the third stage, the exchange rates of the participating national currencies were fixed irrevocably. The euro was initially used as book and deposit money, for example for transfers, financial markets and government accounting. Banknotes and coins did not enter circulation until 2002. During this transitional period, the previous currency units continued to exist legally as subdivisions of the euro. Common monetary policy was transferred to the Eurosystem, consisting of the European Central Bank and the national central banks. The primary objective of the European Central Bank is to ensure price stability.
Initially, eleven states belonged to the euro area. Greece joined before the introduction of cash; further countries followed later. In the issue year of the commemorative coin, Slovakia also introduced the euro, bringing the number of states participating in the common issue to sixteen. The monetary union was therefore not only a monetary-policy project, but also part of the economic integration of the European internal market. It eliminated exchange-rate risks between the participating states, while at the same time requiring greater coordination of their economic and budgetary policies.
The occasion was suitable for a common issue because it directly affected all countries of the euro area and was not tied to the history of a single nation. The design was decided by a public online vote. The selected artist worked as a sculptor at the mint of the Bank of Greece. Following the common issue marking the anniversary of the Treaties of Rome (Römische Verträge) in 2007, it was the second common 2-euro commemorative coin of the euro-area states.
eBay price analysis
For this issue, there is a price history based on actual eBay sales – with median, range and number of sales
View price analysis