The Europa Coin Programme, also known as the European Silver Programme, or the Eurostar Programme, is an initiative dedicated to the issuance of collector-oriented

legal tender Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in ...

coins A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

precious metals Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements (see noble metal). They are usually ductile and have a high lu ...

to celebrate

European identity Pan-European identity is the sense of personal identification with Europe, in a cultural or political sense. The concept is discussed in the context of European integration, historically in connection with hypothetical proposals, but since th ...

. The issuing authorities of EU member countries voluntarily contribute coins to the Europa Coin Programme. Multiple countries have participated in the programme, beginning in 2004. Some coins are denominated in

euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

, others are denominated in other currencies. Europa coins are legal tender.

Eurostar logo

The Eurostar

logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wo ...

is the special mark used on coins to indicate participation in the Europa Coin Programme. It is a stylised combination of an "E" for

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

(or the euro sign), and a star (often used to symbolize a nation, e.g. on the

EU flag The Flag of Europe or European Flag consists of twelve golden stars forming a circle on a blue field. It was designed and adopted in 1955 by the Council of Europe (CoE) as a symbol for the whole of Europe. Since 1985, the flag has also been ...

). Coins must show the Eurostar distinctly and visibly to the naked eye, but not be integral to the coin's design.

Coin features

*Coins must be at least 900 fine silver and of proof quality. *Coins should be approximately "crown sized" -this allows for national traditions and customs. *Coins must show the Eurostar logo (pictured above) distinctly, and visible to the naked eye, but not be integral to the coin's design.

History

*2004 – EU enlargement *2005 – Peace & freedom *2006 – Distinguished European figures *2007 – European Realisation *2008 – Cultural heritage *2009 – European Heritage *2010 – European Architecture *2011 – European Explorers *2012 – European Visual Artists *2013 – European Writers *2014 – European Composers *2015 – Anniversary of the UN *2016 – Five Ages of Europe : Modern Age *2017 – Five Ages of Europe : Age of Glass and Steel *2018 – Five Ages of Europe : Baroque and Rococo

References

External links

Euro Coins Collection Malta

National mints in the EU

Goldankauf Bayern
(in German) {{Euro topics Coins of the Eurozone Euro commemorative coins