The Two Euro coin (€2.00) is a circulating bi-metallic coin made of two alloys: the inner part of nickel brass, the outer part of copper-nickel. Like all the common circulation coins (from 1 cent to €2), the denomination is issued by the separate countries in the Eurozone and is legal tender in all of them, irrespective of which country has issued it. The denomination was introduced in 2002, when Germany retired the German Mark currency and introduced the Euro.
The coins have a common reverse designed by Luc Luycx in 1999 which shows a map of the European Union; it was changed in 2007 to reflect the enlargement of the Union. Each country has its own national obverse; the German regular obverse features the German Federal Eagle.
The €2 is also the only denomination in which circulating commemorative Euro coins are issued; these are also legal tender in all countries of the Eurozone, no matter which country issued them; commemoratives of other denominations are only legal tender in the issuing country. The number of commemorative coins is limited to two (before 2012 to one) per country per year (in addition to any common issue) and to 5 percent of the total mintage output. Given that the reverse is fixed, the commemorative designs are always on the obverse.
The edge lettering on German €2 coins reads EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT - "unity and justice and freedom" - Germany's national motto and the beginning of Germany's national anthem, followed by the Federal Eagle.
Germany has five mints striking circulation coins, which have an arrangement whereby each mint strikes a specific proportion of the circulation coins every year. The mints and their mint marks are: - Berlin Mint - mint mark A - Munich Mint - mint mark D - SMBW - Stuttgart (ex Stuttgart Mint) - mint mark F - SMBW - Karlsruhe (ex Karlsruhe Mint) - mint mark G - Hamburg Mint - mint mark J Note that two of them are part of Staatliche Münzen Baden-Württemberg (SMBW) - the State Mints of Baden-Württemberg - after they merged in 1998, but operate separate facilities and use different mint marks. |