The design of the special two-euro piece paying tribute to the 30th anniversary of the EU flag was chosen through a design contest organised by the European Commission. A total of 62 submissions were made by Eurozone mints, and a preliminary jury selected five submissions for voting by EU citizens. The voting period concluded at the end of May with the commemorative two-euro piece designed by Georgios Stamatopoulos from Greece emerging as the victor. The obverse of the winning design depicts twelve human figures dancing in a circle around the European flag. The winning submission garnered 30 % of the 100,000 votes cast.

The obverse of the Pan-European special two-euro coin is the same in all countries and the reverse is specific to each state. A run of 500,000 commemorative two-euro coins will be released in Finland.

Special two-euro coins are the most popular among collectors

Finland has minted commemorative two-euro coins since 2004. This coin celebrating the EU flag is the fourth Pan-European special two-euro coin – the previous three were released in 2012 (10th Anniversary of Euro coins and banknotes), 2009 (Ten years of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)) and 2007 (50th Anniversary of the Signature of the Treaty of Rome).

”Commemorative two-euro coins have always been popular collector's items everywhere in the world, and Pan-European coins add an extra dash of interest. Finnish collectors of special two-euro coins are being pampered this year since, exceptionally and departing from previous practice, a third commemorative two-euro piece will also be released this year,” says Mint of Finland CEO Paul Gustafsson.

Mint of Finland is offering proof-quality commemorative two-euro coins individually set in beautiful packaging (EUR 24), as well as purses of 10 UNC-quality coins (EUR 41) and rolls of 25 UNC coins (EUR 90). Advance orders for the new special coin will be accepted by the Mint of Finland online shop from 23 July..

For more information, please contact: 
Auli Mikkonen 
Communications and Marketing Coordinator 
Mint of Finland 
358 40 660 5900 
auli.mikkonen@mint.fi