In 2022, the countries of the EU Economic and Monetary Union celebrated the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Erasmus Programme with the issue of a special 2 euro Erasmus coin. The coin is the crowning glory of this Official Austrian Euro Coin Set 2022, which consists of eight proof coins with values from 1 cent to 2 euros.
Proof quality coins are the fruit of the most advanced minting know-how, technology and craftsmanship. Only after 22 high-precision procedures is the die used to strike the first coin, which is then subjected to the most rigorous technical demands. Before each coin leaves Münze Österreich AG, it is scrutinised in great detail to guarantee that design, craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology have successfully transformed a simple piece of metal into a work of art.
Who exactly was the Erasmus after whom the EU student exchange programme was named? Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, who died in Basel almost half a millennium ago, is still considered an important humanist, philologist, church reformer and pioneering spirit of the Enlightenment. He was a Renaissance cosmopolitan who worked in many European countries. In 1509, he wrote his most famous work, In Praise of Folly. One of the most important and popular publications of the Renaissance, this satire looks at the many faces of human ignorance.
Approved by the European Council of Ministers in 1987, the Erasmus Programme combats ignorance by promoting cultural, social, and academic exchanges between European students. The Erasmus+ programme 2021–2027 places a strong focus on social inclusion, digital change, combating climate change and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life. |