A new common 2 Euro piece in 2012: 10 years of cash For those interested in Euro coins: Seems there will be a new COMMON (issued by all Euro-area member states) 2 Euro piece in 2012 celebrating "10 years of cash". Source (in English, have a look at section 6a): http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/22 Bit of a strange theme. True, Euro coins, although minted already as early as 1999 I believe, could be used as official currency as of 2002. So in 2012 that would make 10 years of cash. However, quite a few states joined the Euro rather late. Estonia for instance as late a January this year. That country would be celebrating 10 years of cash whereas it will not have had it by then for even a couple of years. Perhaps a different theme would have been more suitable?
Production of the euro coins started in May 1998 (Pessac, FR). The next countries to begin with the production were Germany, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Austria and the Netherlands - they all began making them in 1998. On 1 January 1999 the euro was "launched" as a currency, and on 1 January 2002 the euro cash became legal tender. In 2007 we had a series of €2 coins that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome - even though some of the issuing countries had not been members of the European Communities in 1957. But of course they took part. So it makes some sense to have this common issue next year. From a collector's point of view that will of course mean 17 extra pieces (or more, depending on how you collect). And some of these will have relatively low mintages. But that would also apply to other common issues ... By the way, at the press conference shortly after the Council meeting in January, Jean-Claude Juncker made some ironic comments about the piece. http://video.consilium.europa.eu/index.php?sessionno=3274 (Takes a few seconds until he actually starts talking.) Had anybody asked, I would have suggested to combine two anniversaries with this coin: 20 years of the Maastricht Treaty (the legal fundament of the euro so to say) and 10 years legal tender. Ah well, they did not ask me for my opinion ... Christian
Hi Christian Ah well, I only collect Dutch Euros. Keeps things simple What really interests me here is how the Dutch will solve their dilemma. Back in 2007 (the common 50 years of the treaty of Rome issue) they made a capital mistake. They put "Koninkrijk der Nederlanden" (Kingdom of The Netherlands) on their coins. Huge blunder, as their kingdom, then, existed of 3 independent countries: Aruba, The Netherlands Antilles and The Netherlands proper of which two weren't even using the Euro. This coin is sooooo very wrong The matter was corrected in 2009. The Dutch coin within the 2009 common "10 years of European Monetary Union" series bears the name "Nederland" (The Netherlands). Issue solved. So far so good. But in October 2010 the Dutch changed the structure of their Kingdom. It now exists of 4 countries and the Carribean islands Bonaire, St.-Eustatius and Saba are now part of the Netherlands, but are officially using the USD, not the Euro. This means that "Nederland" will now be wrong as well, as it would include a Carribean area where the Euro is NOT the official currency. With "Nederland" on it they'd be repeating their 2007 mistake. Officially the Netherlands now consist of 2 regions. The Carribean part is officially called "Caribisch Nederland" (The Carribean Netherlands). In Dutch government documentation The Netherlands proper are now often called "Europees Nederland" (European Netherlands). I am very curious, as in any case just "Nederland" simply won't do. There must be a name change on there. Personally, I believe the next Dutch common 2 Euro piece will bear the name "Europees Nederland".
Agreed, Europees Nederland could be a solution. I have seen the term in newspapers, but I don't know whether it is already "official enough" to be used on a coin. And of course there are more options. The coin could simply have a country code, like what we have on Belgian or Finnish circulation coins, thus "NL". Would look odd, though, if all countries except the Netherlands used their names and not codes ... Then the name and title of the queen could be used, just without her portrait. So the Dutch coin could have whatever the common design will be, plus "Beatrix Koningin der Nederlanden". (Assuming she is still queen then.) May be a little long, but "Bundesrepublik Deutschland" is not that much shorter. Also, from a formal point of view we could argue that the only coins actually issued by the Netherlands are euro and cent coins. Yes, the "BES Islands" are part of the country, and use the US dollar - but they do not issue any USD cash. In that regard "Nederland" would be correct too. Well, they have a few more months to come up with a definite solution. Also, I hope the design will be better than the euro/stickman we had in 2009. If it turns out to be bad, I may well, just like you, say that I need only one piece. Christian
Don't know that either, but it is used more and more to make a clear disctinction. It won't come with a code, I think. Looks odd (on 2 euro common commemoratives the country names are written out fully even by those countries that use codes), is entirely against Dutch tradition (they have always written out their country name) and it doesn't really solve the issue I guess. NL would still be The Netherlands. It would have to be "NL minus BES". "Beatrix koningin der Nederlanden" would be a perfect solution but equally impracticle. It would require a picture of Queen Beatrix and that on a coin that leaves only the "pill" of 1 side for the actual common commemorative design. That leaves hardly any space at all for the design. Moreover, the design would be valid for all other participating countries. The dutch would then have to decrease it in size or so so they can still squeeze a queen and a far too long text in there. They'll never do that. The coins of all participating countries need be identical as much as possible. The fact the BES islands don't issue cash is irrelevant, I believe, as it would still be utterly misleading. With "Nederland" on it, the coin would clearly suggest that the particular piece is valid (and so can be actually used) within the Netherlands as a whole, which would be simply wrong. My guess remains "Europees Nederland".
Ah, the bad old Maastricht Treaty ... where a lot of the rot really began to take hold ... It only went downhill from there ...
@Euro: Another option would be to do what Luxembourg has been doing with regard to common €2 issues - that is, add a royal portrait in a way that leaves the common design intact. Such as a latent image ... we'll see. @andyscouse: Right, unfortunately twenty years ago the UK missed yet another occasion to leave. Ah well, they can still do it. Would of course require an actual decision of the British, instead of simply staying in and bickering. Christian
Luxembourg stuck to its habit to portray its sovereign. The Dutch didn't. They changed their law prescribing that the head of state appears on their coins specially for the 2 Euro common commemoratives and therefore have not depicted Beatrix on them, neither on the 2007 nor on the 2009 coin. There is therefore no reason to believe they will do so this time. Especially as the Luxembourg solution has resulted in, in my modest opinion, poor coins where the comemorative design is severely compromised by these latent images. My guess is one would only do so, if one has to. The Dutch don't. A simple name change suffices. But you're right. We'll find out
I know exactly what you mean. Unfortunately, the UK people have never been given a say - no referendum in sight, and it's parliament that stubbornly refuses to let us out! I see this now from a distance, but it is very sad to see the Brussels autocrats dictating inane laws that make no sense for the UK (and probably no sense for some other countries too). At least we didn't jump aboard the Euro bandwagon (thanks to some foresight by Mrs Thatcher, methinks!). I really wish the politicians would indeed take a stand and get us out of the EU. I know how I'd vote ... In any case, I do have several Euro sets and like those I do. Have the Irish 2006/7 proof sets and Netherland's 2006.
What is good for Britain is not necessarily good for Europe, and vice versa, right. But it is solely the London autocrats that keep you from having a referendum, not anybody else. Christian
