Euro Coin Catalogue
It was the year 1999 when the European Union adopted a new currency called the euro. The new common currency, which began as an electronic currency but which three years later in 2002, after overcoming many obstacles and tests, finally came into circulation with new banknotes and coins. Millions of Europeans had one of the biggest changes in their lives with the arrival of the euro. Since then the European Central Bank and the European Commission have been responsible for maintaining its value and stability by setting the criteria to be met by each member country of the Eurozone.
Along with the dollar, it is one of the strongest currencies in the world. Its symbol € was chosen by the European Commission in 1996 by mixing the Greek letter Epsilon with two parallel lines as an indication of its stability.
- Euro Coin Catalogue
- Euro designs and types
- Commemorative euro coins: the most wanted coins by collectors
- 2 euro coins
- Common commemorative 2 euro coins
- 2 euro commemorative coins 2021
- 2 euro commemorative coins 2022
- 2 euro commemorative coins 2023
- Valuable 2 Euro coins
- Valuable 1 Euro coins in the market
- Special editions
- Euro proof coins
- Metals of the euro coins What are they made of?
- What was the ECU?
- Don't have your euro coin collection on Foronum yet?
How many countries use the euro?
The euro is the official currency of 19 of the 27 member states of the European Union. In total, it is estimated to be used by more than 340 million Europeans. Moreover, the euro is not only the official currency in the euro area. Other small states such as Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, the Vatican or Montenegro use it and even have the right to issue their own currencies.
Search country with euro:
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany-Federal Rep.
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Vaticano
Euro designs and types
The euro coin series consists of eight coins of different denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, €1 and €2.
The design of the coins incorporates a common side (design by Luc Luycx, Royal Belgian Mint) and a national obverse side indicating the issuing country. Given that so many countries make up the euro, the large number of coins in existence opens up a large window of opportunity for coin collecting.
As a curiosity, with the incorporation of the new countries, the common side has undergone modifications. The reverse of most euro coins only included the countries that made up the European Union in 1997. After successive enlargements, it was decided in 2007 to implement a new design. It shows the entire European continent without borders, including Malta and Cyprus.
The high cost of manufacturing and distributing some coins, especially the smaller ones, led several countries such as the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium to stop using the 1 and 2 cent coins. These coins are the ones that have the most followers when it comes to collecting them.
The Banco de España indicates that the different euro coins incorporate electromagnetic and automatic reading characteristics. These provide a guarantee of maximum security, as they are manufactured according to highly advanced technical specifications. The aim is to make them extremely difficult to counterfeit and easy to detect.
Commemorative euro coins: the most wanted coins by collectors
All euro coins have a common design with the exception of the €2 coins, which each country is entitled to issue two commemorative coins per year. These coins have the same features in all countries with a common face but are distinguished by the commemorative motif on the national side. Only the €2 coins can vary in design, which is why they are better known as commemorative coins.
2 euro coins
Commemorative €2 coins are issued on the anniversaries of historical events or with national motifs of historical significance. The first €2 commemorative coin was issued by Greece on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.
These coins are of the bimetallic type as they are made of two metals that are joined together by means of a press. The inner part is nickel plated with nickel-brass and the outer part is cupro-nickel metal. They have a diameter of 25.75 mm, a thickness of 2.20 mm and a weight of 8.50 grams.
The commemorative coins are issued and designed by the individual euro area countries. The ECB (European Central Bank) is responsible for authorising the maximum volume that can be issued by each country.
Common commemorative 2 euro coins
Exceptionally, four commemorative coins have been issued together (a new one will be issued in 2022):
- 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome (March 2007)
- 10th anniversary of the Economic and Monetary Union (January 2009)
- 10th anniversary of the euro banknotes and coins (January 2012)
- The thirtieth anniversary of the EU flag (August 2015)
Although each country may issue a maximum of two commemorative coins per year, exceptionally, a third one may be issued, provided that it is a joint issue commemorating important events at the European level.
2 euro commemorative coins 2021
The following 2-euro commemorative coins have been issued throughout the year 2021. They are currently in great demand and collectors are looking to add them to their collections as soon as possible.
More information on these designs can be found on the ECB's official website
España | 2 euro (Patrimonio de la Humanidad de la UNESCO - Ciudad de Toledo)
Portugal | 2 euro (Presidencia portuguesa de la Unión Europea)
Portugal | 2 euro (XXXII Juegos Olímpicos - Tokyo 2020)
Italia | 2 euro (150 Aniversario del Establecimiento de Roma Capital)
Italia | 2 euro (Profesiones Médicas/Gracias)
Francia | 2 euro (75 Aniversario de la Fundación de UNICEF)
Francia | 2 euro (XXXIII Juegos Olímpicos - París 2024 - Atletismo)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (100 Aniversario del Nacimiento de Jean, Gran Duque de Luxemburgo)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (100 Aniversario del Nacimiento de Jean, Gran Duque de Luxemburgo)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (40 Aniversario de la Boda de Henri y María Teresa)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (40 Aniversario de la Boda de Henri y María Teresa)
Alemania-Rep.Federal | 2 euro (Estado Federado de Sajonia-Anhalt)
Finlandia | 2 euro (Periodismo y Comunicación)
Finlandia | 2 euro (100 Aniversario de la Autonomía de las Islas Åland)
Bélgica | 2 euro (100 Aniversario Unión Económica Bélgica-Luxemburgo)
Bélgica | 2 euro (500 Aniversario del Gulden de Oro de Carlos V)
Grecia | 2 euro (200 Aniversario de la Revolución Griega)
Andorra | 2 euro (Nuestra Señora de Meritxell)
Andorra | 2 euro (Ancianos en COVID-19)
Eslovaquia | 2 euro (100 Aniversario del nacimiento de Alexander Dubček)
Eslovenia | 2 euro (200 Aniversario del Primer Museo de Eslovenia)
Estonia | 2 euro (Pueblos ugrofineses)
Estonia | 2 euro (El Lobo - animal nacional estonio)
Lituania | 2 euro (Reserva de la Biosfera de Žuvintas)
Lituania | 2 euro (Regiones Etnográficas Lituanas - Dzūkija)
Letonia | 2 euro (100 Aniversario del reconocimiento de Letonia)
Malta | 2 euro (Héroes de la Pandemia)
Malta | 2 euro (Templos de Tarxien)
Mónaco | 2 euro (10 Aniversario de la Boda de Alberto II y Charlene)
San Marino | 2 euro (450 Aniversario del Nacimiento de Caravaggio)
San Marino | 2 euro (550 Aniversario del Nacimiento de Albrecht Dürer)
Vaticano | 2 euro (450 Aniversario del Nacimiento de Caravaggio)
Vaticano | 2 euro (VII Centenario de la Muerte de Dante Alighieri)
Vaticano | 2 euro (Escudo Francisco I)
2 euro commemorative coins 2022
Throughout 2022 a series of new commemorative coins were planned for each country, some of them with a precious design which, together with the scarcity of their production, have been quickly acquired by collectors. They are as follows:
España | 2 euro (500 Aniversario - Primera circunnavegación. Juan Sebastián Elcano)
España | 2 euro (Parque Nacional de Garajonay)
España | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Portugal | 2 euro (100 Aniversario de la travesía del Atlántico Sur)
Portugal | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Italia | 2 euro (170 Aniversario de la Policía Nacional Italiana)
Italia | 2 euro (30 Aniversario de la muerte de Falcone y Borsellino)
Francia | 2 euro (Nuevo diseño)
Francia | 2 euro (90 Aniversario del nacimiento de Jacques Chirac)
Francia | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Francia | 2 euro (XXXIII Juegos Olímpicos - París 2024 - Disco)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (50 Aniversario de la Bandera de Luxemburgo)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (10 Aniversario de la Boda de Stephanie y Guillaume)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Alemania-Rep.Federal | 2 euro (Estado Federado de Türingen-Eisenach)
Alemania-Rep.Federal | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Países Bajos | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Finlandia | 2 euro (100 Aniversario del Ballet Nacional de Finlandia)
Finlandia | 2 euro (Investigación climática)
Finlandia | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Bélgica | 2 euro (Asistencia sanitaria durante la pandemia Covid)
Bélgica | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Austria | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Grecia | 2 euro (200 Aniversario de la Constitución Griega)
Grecia | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Andorra | 2 euro (La leyenda de Carlomagno)
Andorra | 2 euro (10 Aniversario acuerdo monetario Unión Europea / Andorra)
Chipre | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Eslovaquia | 2 euro (300 Aniversario de la primera máquina de vapor eslovaca)
Eslovaquia | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Eslovenia | 2 euro (150 Aniversario del Nacimiento de Joze Plecnik)
Eslovenia | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Estonia | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Estonia | 2 euro (Solidaridad con Ucrania)
Estonia | 2 euro (150 Aniversario de la Sociedad Literaria de Estonia)
Irlanda | 2 euro (35 Aniversario Programa Erasmus)
Lituania | 2 euro (100 Años de Baloncesto en Lituania)
Lituania | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Lituania | 2 euro (Regiones Etnográficas Lituanas-Suvalkija)
Letonia | 2 euro (Educación Financiera)
Letonia | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Malta | 2 euro (Hipogeo de Hal-Saflieni)
Malta | 2 euro (35 Aniversario del Programa Erasmus)
Malta | 2 euro (Resolución 1325 ONU - Mujeres Paz y Seguridad))
San Marino | 2 euro (530 Aniversario- muerte de Piero della Francesca)
San Marino | 2 euro (Antonio Canova)
Vaticano | 2 euro (125 Aniversario del nacimiento del Papa Pablo VI)
Vaticano | 2 euro (25 Aniversario de la muerte de Madre Teresa de Calcuta)
Vaticano | 2 euro (Escudo Francisco I)
The Central Bank has decided to issue by 2022 a common design for all member states commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Erasmus Programme.
2 euro commemorative coins 2023
The year 2023 is an important year for many euro area countries and the new designs of the commemorative 2-euro coins for 2023 are being unveiled.
España | 2 euro (Patrimonio de la Humanidad de la UNESCO - Cáceres)
Italia | 2 euro (150 Aniversario de la muerte de Alessandro Manzoni)
Francia | 2 euro (Nuevo diseño)
Francia | 2 euro (XXXIII Juegos Olímpicos - París 2024 - Boxeo)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (175 Aniversario de la Cámara de Diputados)
Luxemburgo | 2 euro (25 Aniversario como Miembro del Comité Olímpico Internacional)
Alemania-Rep.Federal | 2 euro (Filarmónica del Elba - Hamburgo)
Alemania-Rep.Federal | 2 euro (1275 Aniversario del Nacimiento de Carlomagno)
Finlandia | 2 euro (100 Aniversario Ley de Conservación de la Naturaleza)
Estonia | 2 euro (La Golondrina - ave nacional de Estonia)
Lituania | 2 euro (Juntos con Ucrania)
Valuable 2 Euro coins
In the following list, we will show the most sought-after and valuable 2-euro coins among collectors. These can have different reasons for being so expensive, for a rare issue, for an exceptional reason, or for the high demand among collectors.
This reason for their high value almost always fits smaller countries such as Monaco, Vatican, San Marino, and Andorra, which curiously are not part of the EU.
These are the most valuable 2-euro coins with their euro photos at the moment:
Mónaco | 2 euro
Mónaco | 2 euro
Vaticano | 2 euro (Juan Pablo II)
San Marino | 2 euro
Valuable 1 Euro coins in the market
The following list shows the most expensive 1 euro coins in existence, again the smaller countries top the ranking as they are scarce and rare. Some of them are valuable because they are the error coin variant.
Mónaco | 1 euro
Vaticano | 1 euro (Juan Pablo II)
San Marino | 1 euro
Special editions
In addition to the official coins of each country, there are special editions for collectors. Unlike the coins in circulation, these have different values and are validated by the country issuing them. Do you remember the 2,000 peseta coins? Well, the same is true of the euro, and there are coins of 10 euros, 20 euros, and even 30 euros that each country produces to commemorate an event.
10 euro coins
Spain is one of the most active countries in the production of 10-euro coins. For example, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Spanish Constitution, which celebrated its 40th anniversary on 6 December 2018, a commemorative 10-euro coin was issued. The Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre launched this coin made of sterling silver and proof quality with a face value of 10 euros.
This coin features the figure of Felice VI on the obverse with the motto "FELIPE VI REY DE ESPAÑA", while on the reverse it mentions the motif "CONSTITUCIÓN ESPAÑOLA" with the dates 1978-2018 with a drawing of a lion of the Congress of Deputies.
Translated with DeepL
España | 10 euro (50 Aniversario de S.M. el Rey Felipe VI)
20 euro coins
Several 20 euro coins have been issued by the FNMT, two of these 20 euro coins of Spain are the ones with commemorative motifs in reference to the 2010 World Cup won by the Spanish national football team and in 2011 for the centenary of the Women's Day.
20 Euro Champions 2010
In 2010 the Spanish national team achieved the dream of winning the World Cup and the Spanish Mint wanted to commemorate this event by issuing (12,000 coins) a coin with a face value of 20 euros made of 925 sterling silver (weight 18g and diameter 33cm).
The obverse of the coin shows the busts of King Sofia and King Juan Carlos and the reverse reads "WORLD CHAMPIONS" with the image of a footballer.
España | 20 euro (Campeones del Mundo-Sudáfrica 2010)
20 Euro Women's Day Centenary
The second coin has the same features as the first one and the motif is the Centenary of Women's Day, with a bust of Clara Campoamor on the reverse of the coin. Issued in 2011.
España | 20 euro (Día Internacional de la Mujer)
30 euro coins
Spain has many 30-euro coins. One of the coins that collectors in Spain and around the world can obtain was the one produced in 2021 to commemorate the Year of St. James 21-22 and which has a face value of 30 euros. The Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre issued this new 30-euro coin in 925 sterling silver and copper with a diameter of 33 cm.
On the obverse, the coin shows the effigies of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and on the polychrome reverse, a pilgrim walks following the sign of the scallop, the symbol of the apostle, on her way to the cathedral of Santiago.
España | 30 euro (Camino de Santiago)
Euro proof coins
Prior to the launch of the euro in 2002, countries conducted pilot tests to see how the currency would work by simulating its use. To this end, test coins were issued on the occasion of the euro trials. In Spain, one of the most famous was the test in Churriana (Malaga).
Metals of the euro coins What are they made of?
Euro coins are made of different materials depending on the face value of each coin.
The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins are made of copper-plated steel. Copper is usually used on coins to prevent corrosion, although collectors know that it is one of the most delicate when it comes to leaving traces and ends up darkening or turning a greenish color with oxidation.
The 10, 20 and 50 cent coins are made of an alloy known as "Nordic gold", which is made up of copper, aluminum, zinc and tin in specific proportions.
The 1 and 2-euro coins are bimetallic, i.e. they are made up of two parts of different metals and not as a single alloy, giving them a beautiful two-colored appearance. The 1-euro coins have an alloy of copper and nickel inside. This is the same material found on the outside of the 2-euro coins, which contain nickel-brass alloys on opposite sides.
Bimetallic coins. What are bimetallic coins?
We call bimetallic coins those made up of two distinct metal parts. If they had three parts, we would call them tri-metallic and so on. This is the format used for the 1 and 2 euro coins.
Bimetallic coins are usually the highest-value coins that countries have in circulation because they have a higher production cost. The first bimetallic coin issued worldwide was in Italy in 1985.
The Rome mint issued the well-known 500 lira coin. In Spain, it was the Mexican peso that began to use this format.
What was the ECU?
The ECU (European Currency Unit) came into effect in 1979 within the European Monetary System. The ECU was based on a basket of European currencies and its value was equal to the sum of the values of these currencies. All the currencies of the member countries were part of this ECU basket. The ECU was replaced by the euro in 1999 and during its lifetime was the Community's unit of account and is a very popular private financial instrument.
Translated with DeepL
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