Eight of the 15 euro area countries issued a EUR 2 commemorative coin in 2008: Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovenia. In addition, San Marino and the Vatican issued a EUR 2 commemorative coin again.
Belgium
Subject of commemoration: 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Description: The inner part of the coin depicts curved lines around a rectangle marked with the figure 60. The year 2008 is inscribed above the rectangle and the words ’UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS’ underneath it. The name of the country is inscribed in a semi-circle below the design in its three official languages, ’BELGIË - BELGIQUE – BELGIEN’. The mintmark and the signature mark of the Master of the Mint appear to the left and right of the design respectively. The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
Issuing volume: 5 million coins
Issuing date: April/May 2008
Edge lettering: 2**, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Finland
Subject of commemoration: 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Description: The inner part of the coin shows a human figure seen through a heart-shaped hole in a stone wall. The text ’HUMAN RIGHTS’ is inscribed under the heart. The year mark ’2008’ is engraved above the heart. The indication of the issuing country ’FI’, the letter ’K’ (initial of the artist Tapio Kettunen) and the mintmark appear at the bottom of the design. The outer ring of the coin shows the twelve stars of the European flag.
Issuing volume: 1.5 million coins
Issuing date: October 2008
Edge lettering: ’SUOMI FINLAND ***’, where the * stands for a lion head.
France
Subject of commemoration: French Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2008
Description: The inner part of the coin features the following inscription: ’2008 PRÉSIDENCE FRANÇAISE UNION EUROPÉENNE RF’. The currency mark and the mintmaster’s mark are located below, to the left and the right respectively. The coin’s outer ring depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
Issuing volume: 20 million coins
Issuing date: July 2008
Edge lettering: 2**, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Germany
Feature: St Michael’s Church, Hamburg
Description: The inner part of the coin features St Michael’s church, Hamburg. The name of the federal State ’HAMBURG’ is inscribed beneath the church. To the right of the church are the engraver’s initial ’O’ and above it towards the top centre the mintmark (’A’, ’D’, ’F’, ’G’ or ’J’). The outer ring has the year of issue inscribed at the top, six stars on each side and below them the words ’BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND’.
Issuing volume: 30 million coins
Issuing date: 1 February 2008
Edge lettering: ’EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT’ and the federal eagle
Italy
Subject of commemoration: 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights
Description: The inner part of the coin depicts a man and a woman with an olive branch, an ear of corn, a cogwheel and some barbed wire, symbols representing the right to peace, food, work and freedom respectively, along with the links of a chain broken to form the figure ’60°’. In the centre of the coin are the initials of the issuing country ’RI’; to the left the year 2008; to the right the initials ’MCC’ of the artist Maria Carmela Colaneri and the mint mark ’R’; at the bottom, a cartouche with the inscription ’DIRITTI UMANI’. The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
Issuing volume: 5 million coins
Issuing date: April 2008
Edge lettering: 2*, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Luxembourg
Feature: The Grand-Duke Henri and the official residence ’Château de Berg’
Description: The inner part of the coin shows, on the left-hand side in the foreground, the effigy of His Royal Highness the Grand-Duke Henri looking to the right and, on the right-hand side in the background, the picture of the ’Château de Berg’. The date 2008, flanked by the mint mark and the mark of the engraving workshop, is inscribed on the top. The name of the issuing country ’LËTZEBUERG’ appears at the bottom of the design.
Issuing volume: 1.3 million coins
Issuing date: End-January 2008
Edge lettering: 2**, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Portugal
Subject of commemoration: 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Description: The inner part of the coin shows the Portuguese coat of arms at the top, above the name of the issuing country (’PORTUGAL’), the year mark ’2008’ and a geometric design in the bottom half of the centre. The legend ’60 ANOS DA DECLARAÇÃO UNIVERSAL DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS’ runs along the edge of the bottom two thirds of the inner ring and is followed by the inscription ’Esc. J. Duarte INCM’ in very small characters. The outer ring of the coin shows the twelve stars of the European flag.
Issuing volume: 1 035 000 coins
Issuing date: September 2008
Edge lettering: Five coats of arms and seven castles equally spaced.
Slovenia
Subject of commemoration: 500th anniversary of Primož Trubar’s birth
Description: The inner part of the coin features an effigy of Primož Trubar in left profile. On the left, in two semi-circles, the inscription ’PRIMOŽ TRUBAR’ and ’1508-1586’. Towards the bottom on the right, in semi-circle, the inscription ’SLOVENIJA 2008’. The coin’s outer ring contains the 12 stars of the European flag.
Issuing volume: 1 million coins
Issuing date: May 2008
Edge lettering: ’SLOVENIJA’ followed by an engraved dot.
San Marino
Subject of commemoration: 2008, European Year of Intercultural Dialogue
Description: The inner part of the coin represents the different cultures of the five regions within the European continent, symbolised by five human silhouettes and the sacred texts of the different communities. Arched inscriptions complete the design: at the top, ’SAN MARINO’, above the year ’2008’; and at the bottom, ’ANNO EUROPEO DEL DIALOGO INTERCULUTURALE’ and the initials ’E.L.F.’ of the artist, Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini; to the left, the mint mark ’R’. The coin’s outer ring contains the 12 stars of the European flag.
Issuing volume: 130,000 coins
Issuing date: April 2008
Edge lettering: 2*, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Vatican
Subject of commemoration: 2008, The Year of Saint Paul
Description: The inner part of the coin depicts the conversion of Saint Paul on the road to Damascus (the city is visible in the background); the saint, dazzled by a light from the sky, falls from his rearing horse. Two inscriptions are engraved around the portrait: on the left hand side, an inscription denoting the issuing country ’CITTÀ DEL VATICANO’; on the right hand side, the legend ’ANNO SANCTO PAULO DICATO’. The year ’2008’ is inscribed to the right of the portrait, as well as the mintmark ’R’ and the artist’s name ’VEROI’. Beneath the portrait are the initials of the engraver Luciana De Simoni, ’L.D.S. INC.’. The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring.
Issuing volume: 100,000 coins
Issuing date: October 2008
Edge lettering: 2*, repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
