2 euro PORTUGAL (2009) 10^th Anniversary of Economic and Monetary Union

in the centre an irregular stylised planchet of an ancient coin; inside it a concave figure of a man, whose arm is a part of a euro currency symbol €; along the top edge: PORTUGAL; along the bottom edge: UEM 1999-2009 (UEM - União Económica e Monetária - Economic and Monetary Union); at the edge a ring of twelve five-pointed stars - symbol of the European Union

left from the 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 seven castles and five shields from Portuguese Coat of Arms:

1 I 2009

circulating

Γεώργιος Σταματόπουλος (initials ΓΣ above the date 2009 on the obverse), Luc Luycx (initials LL below letter 'O' in EURO on the reverse)

(Georgios Stamatopoulos, Luc Luycx)

Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda (National Press - The Mint), Lisbon (mint mark INCM at the right edge of the reverse)

2009

1 250 000

+ 20 000 in boxed sets

In the contests for a design of a coin commemorating 10th anniversary of the Economic and Monetary Union, the proposal of George Stamatopoulos from the Central Bank of Greece has won the internet voting. He proposed the idea of a coin on a coin, which he had used previously on a Greek national obverse of 1 euro coins. There he introduced an irregularly struck Greek coin of 4 drachmas from 5th century BC. This time he designed by himself a coin pretending to be ancient. All euro zone members issued a coin with the same motif on the obverse. Let's meet the other finalists.