Design Process :
Euro Union member Countries
Euro Designer Luc Luycx
Luycx's career started out quite
differently, as he first worked as a computer engineer. He had no experience
with creating designs on the computer, but loved to paint and draw with a pen.
When his supervisor asked him to take a coin engraving course , he was introduced
to Corel DRAW and his new passion for designing coins began. "When I was
designing the coins, I made rough sketches on paper and scanned them into the
computer," said Luycx. "I did the rest of the work, including the
design and the editing, with Corel DRAW".
Designing the Euro
The design process for the coins started in
spring 1996. During the Informal Ecofin Council in Verona
- Architectural
and ornamental style
- Aims and
ideals of the European union and
- European personalities
National selections were made by all Member
States, except Denmark
The winner of the competition was designer Luc
Luycx, a old graphic designer of the Belgian Royal Mint. The winning design
came first in the opinion poll, with nearly 64% of positive responses. The
design on the common side of the euro coins features a representation of
Europe, as opposed to a map of Europe . The 1,
2 and 5 cents show Europe in the world. The
10, 20 and 50 cents illustrate the Union as a
group of nations. The 1 and 2 euro coins illustrate a Europe
without frontiers. Only islands of over 2500 Sq. Km and archipelagos of over
5000 Sq. Km were included in the design.
The design of the euro common side was
changed, at the 2666th Council meeting of Economic and Financial Affairs in
Luxembourg on June 7, 2005. The decision reflected the enlargement of the Euro zone
and the new country - members are depicted on the 1, 2 euro and 10, 20, 50 cent
coins.
Bi-color
When determining the coin metals for the
highest denominations of 1 and 2 Euro, much attention was paid to the safety
marks. Considering the value of these coins it is important to consider that
they are difficult to forge. The choice finally landed on coin plates that are
made up of several metal alloys. These materials consist of a core of a certain
metal and a ring of another metal, both with a different coloration. Coins of
this composition are called 'bi-color coins'. The production of bi-color coins
are a technical innovation of the last decades.
At the 2666th Council meeting of Economic
and Financial Affairs in Luxembourg (on June 7, 2005) a number of important
decision concerning the euro coins were taken. According to the Council, the
common side of the bi-color coins (1- and 2-euro) and the "Nordic
gold" coins (10-, 20- and 50-cent) represented the European Union before
it was enlarged from 15 to 25 Member States in May 2004. On the basis of new
designs submitted by the Commission, the Council decided that the necessary
technical preparations for the amendment of the common side of these coins
should be completed so as to ensure that all EU Member States will in the
future be represented. The common side of the smallest denomination coins (1-,
2- and 5-cent) represent Europe in the world
and are not affected by the enlargement of the European Union.
By taking this decision on a timely basis,
the Council wanted to make certain that countries adopting the euro in the
future will be able to mint coins with the new common side. The existing
euro-area Member States will also change over to the new common side once they
have completed all technical preparations. The new common side will only be
used for future coin production. All euro coins already in circulation remain
perfectly valid and will not be replaced. The new European map present on the
new common sides of these denominations feature the islands of Malta and Cyprus
At the same Council meeting, it was also
agreed that since euro coins circulate throughout the euro area, Member States
should put a clear indication of the issuing Member
State on the national side by means of
the Member State
Member States should inform each other on
the design of new national sides, including the edge letterings, before they
formally approve these designs. To this effect, new designs should be forwarded
to the Commission which will without delay inform the other Member States as
appropriate. These rules should apply to all future national sides and edge
letterings of both normal and commemorative euro circulation coins issued after
the adoption of these conclusions. No changes are required to existing national
sides.
Euro 2
|
|
Diameter
|
25.75 mm
|
Thickness
|
2.20 mm
|
Weight
|
8.50 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Edge lettering, fine milled
|
Color
|
Outer part: white; inner part: yellow
|
Composition
|
Outer part: copper-nickel;
|
inner part: three
|
|
layers: nickel brass, nickel, nickel brass
|
Euro 1
|
|
Diameter
|
23.25 mm
|
Thickness
|
2.33 mm
|
Weight
|
7.50 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Interrupted milled
|
Color
|
Outer part: yellow; inner part: white
|
Composition
|
Outer part: nickel brass;
|
inner part: three layers:
|
|
copper-nickel, nickel, copper-nickel
|
Euro - 50 cents
|
|
Diameter
|
24.25 mm
|
Thickness
|
2.38 mm
|
Weight
|
7.80 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Shaped edge with fine scallops
|
Color
|
Yellow
|
Composition
|
Nordic gold
|
Euro - 20 cents
|
|
Diameter
|
2225 mm
|
Thickness
|
2.14 mm
|
Weight
|
5.74 grams
|
Shape
|
Spanish flower shape
|
Edge
|
Plain
|
Color
|
Yellow
|
Euro - 10 cents
|
|
Diameter
|
19.75 mm
|
Thickness
|
1.93 mm
|
Weight
|
4.10 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Shaped edge with fine scallops
|
Color
|
Yellow
|
Composition
|
Nordic gold
|
Euro - 10 cents
|
|
Diameter
|
19.75 mm
|
Thickness
|
1.93 mm
|
Weight
|
4.10 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Shaped edge with fine scallops
|
Color
|
Yellow
|
Composition
|
Nordic gold
|
Euro - 5 cents
|
|
Diameter
|
21.25 mm
|
Thickness
|
1.67 mm
|
Weight
|
3.92 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Smooth
|
Color
|
Red
|
Composition
|
Copper-covered steel
|
Euro - 2 cents
|
|
Diameter
|
18.75 mm
|
Thickness
|
1.67 mm
|
Weight
|
3.06 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Smooth with a groove
|
Color
|
Red
|
Composition
|
Copper-covered steel
|
Euro - 1 cent
|
|
Diameter
|
16.25 mm
|
Thickness
|
1.67 mm
|
Weight
|
2.27 grams
|
Shape
|
Round
|
Edge
|
Smooth
|
Color
|
Red
|
Composition
|
Copper-covered steel
|
Euro Union member Countries
Euro Union Member Countries
|
||
1) Andorra
|
9) Greece
|
17) Netherlands
|
2) Austria
|
10) Ireland
|
18) Portugal
|
3) Belgium
|
11) Italy
|
19) San Marino
|
4) Cyprus
|
12) Kosovo
|
20) Slovakia
|
5) Estonia
|
13) Luxembourg
|
21) Slovenia
|
6) Finland
|
14) Malta
|
22) Spain
|
7) France
|
15) Monaco
|
23) Vatican City
|
8) Germany
|
16) Montenegro
|
|
Coin Security Features
The production of euro coins is carried out
in accordance with specifications and characteristics of advanced technology.
Therefore their reproduction becomes extremely difficult. Special care is taken
for the incorporation of unique security features on €1 and €2 euro coins: Euro
coins incorporate the most secure machine readable features and can be used in
vending machines throughout the euro area, regardless of the issuing country.
The coins of €1 and €2 are bi-metalic and their counterfeiting becomes
extremely difficult, while lettering has been engraved around the edge of the
€2 coin.
Compliance
No further changes will be made to the
common side of the coins until 2007 at the earliest. Member states must keep
their national reverse for five years. There are some exceptions, though. If
the head of state of a country dies or abdicates, coins depicting the new one
may be minted. There are no plans to move to common reverse issues in the
nearly future.
Even
though the Euro was introduced as payment means in 2002, the production of Euro
coins already started in 1999. Because the coins are provided with the year in
which they are produced, the issue of Euro started with the year 1999. Years
before the introduction of the Euro the coin masters of the European Union were
intensively involved with the technical specifications of the new coins. Based
on extensive research they made suggestions concerning
the composition of the Euro coin series and the metals, dimensions, weight and
edges to be selected. For these choices the requirement that coins should be
easily distinguishable for blind people, and for use in machines was taken into
account.
Euro Designer Luc Luycx
Luc Luycx (pronounced Lowx) was a computer
engineer and coin designer who lived in Dendermonde, Belgium. Luycx had been
working at the Koninklijke Belgische Munt (Royal Belgium Mint) for 15 years,
designing coins on computer. In 1996, Luyncx created a series of coins in Corel
DRAW and submitted them to the design competition held by every EU member
state, with the exception of Denmark. He was not alone of course. Professional
coin designers, artists and sculptors from all over the European Union
submitted their own designs for the contest which was limited to three themes:
architectural, abstract and European personalities.
A European jury of independent experts
chose the nine best series out of a total of 36 in March 1997. The winning
design was the clear favorite of an opinion poll organized by the European
Commission among both the general public and a wide range of currency users' organizations,
including consumers and representatives of the blind and the visually impaired,
and also with the European Parliament. In the final stages 63.8% of a sample of
1900 Europeans selected Luycx's series of coins, featuring the map of Europe
with all the countries' borders and a background symbolizing Europe
with 12 stars. The final decision on the design was taken by the European
Council meeting in Amsterdam Europe . He also received 24,000 ECU
for his prize-winning series of design.
Designing the Euro
Luycx's main concern was making the value
of the coin clear at first glance and even from a distance. So, with clear-cut
numbers in his head, he set to work on the design which also emphasizes
European integration. Next to the number inscriptions of the one, two and five
cent coins, Luycx placed a tiny globe with the outlines of the European
continent. On some Euro coins, the 15 EU countries are clearly separated, while
on others, the individual countries depicted, merge into one continent. "A
Europe-wide currency has to be neutral, the graphics can't be too specific. If
I had opted for portraits of famous people or architectural monuments then one
country was bound to be more strongly represented", he says.
Luc Luycx initials on the
2 euro coin
Luycx also consciously included England , Denmark
and Sweden
Luc Luycx was pleased. "I think
they've really turned out well, great! I wasn't expecting that. I'm very
pleased with them." Naturally, Luycx was looking forward to January 1,
2002, when people Europe wide would be
exchanging the coins - and his designs - as legal tender for the first time.
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