Euro Coins Info
Although the currency has only been on the world stage for a short time as currencies go, Euro coins are among the world’s most circulated. According to the European Central Bank, there are around 100 billion Euro coins of all denominations currently circulating
The first Euro coins were issued in some member states in 2002. The design of these coins was very similar to the modern Euro coins. For each value of coin, the reverse bears a design based on the work of Belgian artist Luc Luycx. The reverse of each denomination of coin bears the value of the coin and a stylised map of Europe; the maps differ slightly between the 2002 issue and the 2007 issue, which was modified to include new member states.
Although the reverse designs of Euro coins are identical from country to country, the obverse designs vary depending on the issuing nation. In some countries, the obverse design is the same on all denominations — for instance, all Dutch Euro coins display a portrait of the Queen of the Netherlands on the obverse. In other countries, the design varies from denomination to denomination. Some countries, such as Greece, have a different design for each value of coin, while others, such as Portugal, have a smaller range of obverse designs. Each country’s obverse design also includes certain standard elements, such as a ring of twelve stars around the design.
There are eight types of Euro coin: one-, two-, five-, ten-, 20- and 50-cent coins, as well as one- and two- Euro coins. The coins increase in size as they increase in value, so that the one-cent coin is only a fraction of the size of the two-Euro coin. The smallest three coins have a copper coating, while the ten-, 20- and 50-cent coins are covered with an alloy called “Nordic gold”. This alloy does not contain any gold, but is named for its colour. The one- and two-Euro coins are bimetallic, meaning that they are composed of two metals, both types of copper alloy. The one-Euro coin has a silver-coloured centre with an outer rim of gold-coloured alloy, while this arrangement is reversed on the two-Euro coin.
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