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Commemorative coin of 2 euros of Germany, issued on January 31, 2023. Dedicated to Hamburg through the Elbe Philharmonic. Minted at five German mints. Total circulation of about 30 million copies. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
In the center of the coin is the Elbe Philharmonic - a characteristic silhouette with a lower part made of stone and an upper part with a wavy glass facade. Above - "HAMBURG", below - "ELBPHILHARMONIE" and the year. Mint mark. On the left - "BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND". On the outer ring are the 12 five-pointed stars of the European Union.
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 German inscription "EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT" (Unity and Law and Freedom).
Historical context
The Elbphilharmonie (colloquially "Elbe" or "Elbi") is a concert hall in Hamburg, built in a renovated former cocoa bean warehouse (Kaispeicher A, 1960s) in the HafenCity port area. Designed by the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron. Construction lasted from 2007 to 2016, opening on January 11, 2017 with a concert by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. The building is 110 m high, making it one of the tallest residential buildings in Hamburg at the time. The architecture is a characteristic combination of a massive stone base with a wavy glass top, resembling a sail, a water wave or an ice crystal. It has the main concert hall, the Great Hall (Großer Saal) with acoustic design by Yasuhisa Toyoty (over 2,100 seats), a Small Hall, a hotel and apartments. The budget increased from 77 million to 866 million euros - many scandals. Today - one of the most famous concert halls in the world, a symbol of the new Hamburg.