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What do our coins look like?

Common side

The common side of the coins is the same for all members of the Eurosystem. The common sides of the eight euro coins have different designs:

  • €2 and €1, 50, 20 and 10 cent show either the European Union before its enlargement on 1 May 2004 or, as of 1 January 2007, a geographical image of Europe.
  • 5, 2 and 1 cent show Europe in relation to Africa and Asia on a globe.

The common sides of the coins were designed by Mr Luc Luycx of the Royal Belgian Mint.

All euro coins, regardless of their common and national sides, are legal tender throughout the euro area.

Current design

Click on the images to see previous designs.

Within the euro zone, each country is free to choose the design of the national side of its coins, but to ensure that they are immediately recognizable as euro coins they must include the twelve stars of the European flag, the identification of the issuing country and the year of issue.

All euro coins can be used to make payments throughout the euro area, regardless of their national side.

To learn more about the national side of the coins of the euro area, click here:

In the following link you can find more information about euro coins:

In addition to the coins with the usual national side of each country, there are commemorative two euro coins, which are legal tender in all the countries of the euro zone. For more information Commemorative and collector’s coins”.