20 Euro Cent Coin

The 20 euro cent coin (€0.20) has a value of one-fifth of a euro and is composed of an alloy called Nordic Gold in the Spanish flower shape. All euro coins have a common reverse side and country-specific national sides. The coin has been used since 2002, with the present common side design dating from 2007.

History

The coin dates from 2002, when euro coins and banknotes were introduced in the 12 member eurozone and its related territories. The common side was designed by Luc Luycx, a Belgian artist who won a Europe-wide competition to design the new coins. The design of the 10 to 50 cent coins were intended to show separate states of the European Union (EU), as opposed to the one and two euro coins showing the 15 states as one and the 1 to 5 cent coins showing the EU's place in the world.

The national sides, then 15 (eurozone + Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican who could mint their own) were each designed according to national competitions, though to specifications which applied to all coins such as the requirement of including twelve stars (see euro coins for more). National designs were not allowed to change until the end of 2008, unless a monarch (whose portrait usually appears on the coins) dies or abdicates. This happened in Monaco and the Vatican City resulting in three new designs in circulation (the Vatican had an interim design until the new Pope was selected). National designs have seen some changes due to new rules stating that national designs should include the name of the issuing country (Finland and Belgium both do not show their name, and hence have made minor changes).

As the EU's membership has since expanded in 2004 and 2007, with further expansions envisaged, the common face of all euro coins from the value of 10 cent and above were redesigned in 2007 to show a new map. This map showed Europe, not just the EU, as one continuous landmass, however Cyprus was moved west as the map cut off after the Bosporus (which was seen as excluding Turkey for political reasons). The redesign in 2007, rather than in 2004, was because 2007 saw the first enlargement of the eurozone: the entry of Slovenia. Hence, the Slovenian design was added to the designs in circulation. Two more designs were added in 2008 with the entry of Cyprus and Malta and another one in 2009 with Slovakia, and four more for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Croatia were added in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2023, respectively. Andorra began minting its own designs in 2014 after winning the right to do so.

Design

The coins are composed of an alloy called Nordic gold, with a diameter of 22.25 mm, a 2.14 mm thickness and a mass of 5.74 grams. The coins' edges are smooth with seven indentations from the coin's " Spanish flower" shape. The coins have been used from 2002, though some are dated 1999 which is the year the euro was created as a currency, but not put into general circulation.

Reverse (common) side

The reverse (used from 2007 onwards) was designed by Luc Luycx and displays a map of Europe on the left. The map does not include Iceland and cuts off on the right through Russia (at a line from the Kandalaksha Gulf to the Bosphorus). Additionally, Cyprus is moved westward under Crete in order to include it and Malta is shown as disproportionally large so that it shows up. The map is flat and level with most of the coin and the sea is shown as an indentation. Six fine lines cut through the sea, breaking when passing through the map, and at their ends at the top and bottom are twelve stars (reflective of the flag of Europe). To the right, in raised lettering, is "20 Euro Cent" with the '20' being shown much larger than the words. The designer's initials, LL, appear next to the 0 in 20.

Luc Luycx designed the original coin, which was much the same except the design was only of the then 15 members and shown with gaps between the states and raised rather than with an indented sea.

Obverse (national) sides

The obverse side of the coin depends on the issuing country. All have to include twelve stars (in most cases a circle around the edge), the engraver's initials and the year of issue. New designs also have to include the name or initials of the issuing country. The side cannot repeat the denomination of the coin unless the issuing country uses an alphabet other than Latin (currently, Greece is the only such country hence they engrave "20 ΛΕΠΤΑ" upon their coins).

Planned designs

Austria, Germany and Greece will also at some point need to update their designs to comply with guidelines stating they must include the issuing state's name or initial. Austria will also have to remove the denomination of the coin from its design, Greece is exempt from this requirement as it uses a non-Latin alphabet.

In addition, there are several EU states that have not yet adopted the euro. While some of them have already agreed upon their coin designs, these are not yet minted as it is not known exactly when they will adopt the currency. See enlargement of the Eurozone for expected entry dates of these countries.

References

External links

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{{Euro topics , state=expanded

Currencies introduced in 2002
Euro coins
Twenty-cent coins
Cultural depictions of Nikola Tesla
Cultural depictions of Miguel de Cervantes
Cultural depictions of Pope John Paul II
Cultural depictions of Pope Benedict XVI
Maps on coins