| Coin | Fifty Euro Cents 2002 |
|---|
|
The Fifty Euro Cents coin (€0.50) has a value of one half of a Euro and is composed of an alloy called Nordic Gold (89% copper, 5% aluminium, 5% zinc, and 1% tin). Like all other 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 showed a map of the European Union; it was changed in 2007 to reflect the enlargement of the Union, and later coins show all of western Europe. Each country has its own national obverse; the German obverse was designed by Reinhart Heinsdorff. German 10 Euro Cents feature the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin as a symbol of the reunification of Germany and Europe. The year and mint mark are shown at the bottom.
Germany has five mints striking circulation coins, which have an arrangement whereby each mint strikes a specific proportion of the circulation coins every year.
German Fifty Euro Cent coins issued in 2002 have now been in circulation for 22 years.
|
| Mint | Mint mark | Total Mintage |
|---|
| SMBW - Stuttgart |
Letter F |
430,780,000 (430.8 million) |
| Hamburg Mint |
Letter J |
401,700,000 (401.7 million) |
| Bavarian Central Mint - Munich |
Letter D |
370,540,000 (370.5 million) |
| Berlin Mint |
Letter A |
338,050,000 (338.1 million) |
| SMBW - Karlsruhe |
Letter G |
256,860,000 (256.9 million) |
|
| Obverse | |
|---|
At centre, the obverse of the coin shows a view of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin - an 18th-century neoclassical monument built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the temporary restoration of order during the Batavian Revolution. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, which used to be the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Throughout its existence, the Brandenburg Gate was often a site for major historical events and is today considered not only as a symbol of the tumultuous history of Europe and Germany, but also of European unity and peace.
Atop the gate is a sculpture by Johann Gottfried Schadow of a quadriga - a chariot drawn by four horses - driven by Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.
Below, in the inner circle, the date of issue: 2002, beneath which a small letter represents the mint mark of the issuing mint.
In the outer ring, the twelve stars of the European Union (representing the twelve original member states). |
|
| Obverse Inscription |
************ 2002 |
|---|
|
| Reverse | |
|---|
The reverse of the coin shows on the left a representation of a map of Europe, with each European Union member country shown separately.
Behind the map, six vertical lines connect the twelve stars of Europe - six around above left, and six around below left.
On the right, a large numeral value: 50, below which on two lines the denomination EURO CENT.
The designer's monogram LL (for Luc Luycx) is below right. |
|
| Reverse Inscription |
50 EURO CENT |
|---|
|
| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
|
Search for Germany: Fifty Euro Cents 2002 on eBay 