Yesterday, European Central Bank has released a Euro 10 years Commemorative €2 coin design. The coin is being issued in all euro zone countries and bears the same design on one side. This is the third time that all euro-area countries will issue a euro coin with a common design on the national side. The first was the commemorative 2-euro coin issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in 2007 and the second commemorated 10 years of Economic and Monetary union and the creation of the euro as book money, in 2009. Commemorative coins always have a value of 2 euro and are put into circulation in the whole euro area, and they are often the subject of keen interest from coin collectors.
The winning design symbolises the way in which the euro has become a true global player in the last ten years and its importance in ordinary people's lives (represented by the people in the design), trade (the ship), industry (the factory) and energy (wind power stations). The winning design was created by Mr Helmut Andexlinger who is a professional designer at the Austrian Mint.
Citizens of all countries of the euro-area were invited to submit designs via a dedicated website during a three-week period in May. A professional jury selected five from among the more than 800 designs submitted. These five were put to a public web vote among citizens and residents of the euro area between 6 and 24 June. Close to 35 000 participated in the vote. The winning design received 34 % of the votes.
