2 euro FRANCE (2008) French Presidency in the EU Council

on top of the coin year of issue 2008; below in four lines: PRÉSIDENCE / FRANÇAISE / UNION / EUROPÉENNE (French Presidency in the European Union); below letters: RF (RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE - French Republic); at the edge a ring of twelve five-pointed stars - symbol of the European Union

left from the coin centre face value: 2, on the right inscription: EURO; in the background of the inscription a map of Europe; in the background of the map vertically six parallel lines ending on both sides with five-pointed stars (the reverse is common for all euro coins)

reeded with concave inscription:

4 VIII 2008

in circulation

Philippe Starck, Luc Luycx (initials LL below letter O in EURO in the reverse)

La Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint), Pessac (mint mark after RF in the obverse, next to it privy mark of mint's director Hubert Larivière - horn)

2008

20 064 000

+ 20 000 in boxed commemorative sets

Privy marks of the general engravers of the Mint of Paris, which can be found on French coins produced after 1944:

Lucien Bazor	1931-1958		wing
Raymond Joly	1958-1974		owl
Emile Rousseau	1974-1994		dolphin
Pierre Rodier	1994-2000		bee
Gérard Buquoy	2001-2002		horseshoe
Serge Levet	2003		heart
Hubert Larivière	2004-2010		horn
Yves Sampo	from 2011		rosette

The Presidency of the EU Council is a six-month period of leading the Council of the European Union and representing the Union abroad. The commemorative coin of 2 euro from 2008 was issued to commemorate the Presidency of France in the second half of 2008.