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A common commemorative 2 euro coin issued by Spain in 2009 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Economic and Monetary Union. The design is by Georgios Stamatopoulos (Greece). The mintage of the Spanish version is 8,000,000. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
The centre depicts a stylised human figure combined with the euro symbol "€". The design conveys the idea that the EMU is the latest stage in the long history of European economic integration. Surrounding: "UEM 1999-2009" (Unión Económica y Monetaria - Economic and Monetary Union in Spanish) and "ESPAÑA". Mintmark of the Madrid Mint. On the outer ring - 12 stars of the EU.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the second type, designed by Luc Luix. It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders. On the left - a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right - a map. On the outer ring - 12 stars of the European Union. The edge - with fine ribbing and national inscription.
Historical context
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is the process of harmonizing the economic and monetary policies of the EU countries, which culminated in the introduction of the common currency, the euro. The third, decisive stage of EMU began on 1 January 1999, when the euro was introduced as a non-cash currency in 11 countries (Spain, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Portugal), and the exchange rates of national currencies were irreversibly fixed. Cash euro coins and banknotes appeared on 1 January 2002. For Spain, the transition from the peseta to the euro was a large-scale operation - about 165 billion pesetas were exchanged (1 euro = 166.386 pesetas). Spain played a key role in the formation of EMU, and Spanish representatives, in particular Carlos Solchaga and Pedro Solbes, made a significant contribution to the development of EMU mechanisms. EMU provided Spain with economic stability, low inflation and stimulated trade with eurozone partners.