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A national panel made up of leading
Belgian officials, artists and experts in numismatics chose the motif used
on all the coins. It depicts King Albert II and a monogram - a capital "A" underneath
a crown - among 12 stars, symbolising Europe. The year of issue is part
of the design, along with the year the coin was struck.
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1, 2 and 5 cent coins: the oak
twig, reminiscent of that found on the former German pfennig
coins, provides the motif for these coins. It was designed
by Professor Rolf Lederbogen.
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This motif shows an advanced model
of an Athenian trireme, the largest warship afloat for more than 200 years,
dating from the time of the Athenian democracy (fifth century BC).
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1, 2 and 5 cent coins: the cathedral
of Santiago de Compostela, a jewel of Spanish Roman art and one
of the most famous pilgrimage destinations in the world, is pictured
on these coins. They
show the monumental facade of the Obradoiro, a splendid example
of Spanish baroque construction, started in 1667 by Jose del Toro
and Domingo de Andrade.
It was finished in the 18th century by Fernando Casas y Novoa.
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1, 2 and 5 cent coins: this shows
a young, feminine Marianne with determined features that embody
the desire for a sound and lasting Europe. It was designed by Fabienne Courtiade,
an
engraver from the Paris Mint.
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The Government of Ireland decided
on a single national design for all Irish coin denominations.
They show the Celtic harp, a traditional symbol of Ireland, decorated
with the year of
issue and the word "Éire" - the Irish word for Ireland. The harp shown
was designed by Jarlath Hayes.
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The Castel del Monte appears on
this coin.
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Yvette Gastauer-Claire designed
the coins by agreement with the Royal Household and the Luxembourg
Government. All the Luxembourg coins bear the profile of
His Royal Highness Grand
Duke Henri. They bear the year of issue and the word "Luxembourg" written
in Luxembourgish ("Lëtzebuerg").
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The coat of arms of the Sovereign Princes of Monaco is shown on the 1, 2 and 5 cent coins.
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1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent coins:
Queen Beatrix is shown in profile and the words "Beatrix Queen of The
Netherlands" in Dutch are written around the circumference of the coins.
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This coin shows a gentian, as part
of a floral series, symbolising a duty to the environment and
the part Austria is playing in the development of a Community environmental
policy.
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1, 2 and 5 cent coins: these show
the first royal seal, from 1134, along with the word "Portugal".
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The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins show the third tower, the Statue of Liberty and the first tower respectively.
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This coin features a stork.
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1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent coins:
these show a heraldic lion which is a reproduction of a design
by the sculptor Heikki Häiväoja. The heraldic lion in different
designs has been used in several Finnish coins over the years,
for example on the 1 markka
coins between 1964 and 2001.
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The third series, issued in April 2006, shows His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and the legend “CITTÀ DEL VATICANO”. To the right of his portrait are the year “2006” and the mint mark “R”. To the left are the designer’s initials “DL”.
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