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Commemorative coin of 2 euros of the Netherlands, issued in 2012 with a circulation of 3,750,000 copies. A common coin of all 17 countries of the euro zone in honor of the 10th anniversary of euro banknotes and coins. The author of the joint design is Helmut Andexinger. It was minted at the Royal Netherlands Mint. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
The center of the coin depicts a stylized euro symbol "€", surrounded by elements of the economy: a building, a bridge, a ship, factory pipes, wind turbines, and figures of people. In the background is a globe. At the top is the name of the country "NEDERLAND" and the years "2002-2012". On the outer ring are the 12 five-pointed 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 is a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right is a map with six thin horizontal lines in the background. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the European Union. The band is finely fluted and has the inscription "GOD ★ ZIJ ★ MET ★ ONS ★" (God is with us).
Historical context
The euro is the official currency of the European Union, created on January 1, 1999 as a non-cash currency, and introduced into circulation as banknotes and coins on January 1, 2002 in 12 countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. For the first few weeks of 2002, national currencies circulated in parallel with the euro. The Netherlands exchanged its national guilder (NLG) for the euro at a rate of 1 euro = 2.20371 guilders. In 2012, the euro zone consisted of 17 countries. The transition to a single currency was the largest monetary reform in history. All eurozone countries issued a common 2-euro coin with the same design. The design was chosen through an online vote by EU citizens on the European Commission website (over 34,000 votes). The vote was the first precedent in which citizens directly chose the design of a commemorative coin.