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Commemorative coin of the Italian Republic 2 euros, issued in 2009 in a circulation of 2,500,000 copies. Joint issue of 16 eurozone countries in honor of the 10th anniversary of EMU. The author of the joint design is George Stamatopoulos (Bank of Greece), winner of the competition of European mints. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at IPZS in Rome.
Obverse
The center of the coin depicts a stylized human figure reaching out to the large euro symbol "€". This man-Atlantean, similar to an ancient Greek hero, "holds" the euro - a symbol of the birth of a common European currency from the work and faith of citizens. On the left is the inscription "REPUBBLICA ITALIANA", on the right - "UEM 1999-2009" (Unione Economica e Monetaria - Economic and Monetary Union, 1999-2009). Around the figure - the names of the 16 eurozone countries in lowercase letters. The mint mark "R" and the initials of the author "GS". 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 (Royal Belgian Mint). It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders - a symbol of European unity. On the left - a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right - a map with six thin horizontal lines in the background. On the outer ring - 12 stars of the European Union. The band is finely fluted and has the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) of the European Union is a key stage of European integration, completed on 1 January 1999 with the introduction of the common currency, the euro (€). Formally, the EMU was formed in three stages, starting on 1 July 1990: Stage I - liberalization of capital movements; Stage II (from 1 January 1994) - creation of the European Monetary Institute, which became the predecessor of the European Central Bank; Stage III (from 1 January 1999) - introduction of the euro. The euro was initially introduced as a non-cash currency for 11 founding countries (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain), and banknotes and coins were introduced on 1 January 2002. Greece joined in 2001, so in 2009 there were 16 countries in the euro area. The EMU is managed by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.