Identifying Marks on Euro Coins




For those of you who are interested in getting to know your Euro Coins  more intimately I have included this page that contains much useless but fascinating information! I believe however that the purpose of a hobby is, first and foremost, to simply enjoy it for its own sake and then the concept of useful information is less applicable.

The Identifying marks on the Euro coins can be devided into four main groups:


  • Marks identifying the country
  • Marks idntifying the mint
  • Mint master/privy marks identifying directors or chief engravers
  • Designer/engraver marks identifying the designer of the coin

At the moment only the first two are dealt with here but I hope in the course of the year to extend coverage to the latter two.




Identifying Marks for the Countries


Initially it was decided that the national sides of the Euro Coins should not in any way, apart from the design, indicate the country issueing the coin - difficult to understand but nevertheless a fact.

It was later (2005) decided that the national sides should indeed indicate the country of origin. Of the countries that followed the original guide lines and have not adapted since the 2005 change in directives,only Germany and Greece remain i.e. only these two have no identification mark on the national side. The case of Austria is somewhat unclear as they have a styilized representation of the national flag but it could represent any flag that consists of three horizontal stripes.

I think that sooner or later all three countries will change their sides so that they comform with the new guidelines.

Of the remaining seventeen countries four are represented by abbreviations and thirteen by the full name. This is shown in the following table.


Summary of national Identification


Country Type of
Identification
Identification
Andorra Text ANDORRA
Austria none
Belgium Abbreviation BE
Cyprus Text ΚΥΠΡΟΣ/KIBRIS
In Greek and Turkish
Estonia Text EESTI
Finland Abbreviation
from 2007
FI
France Abbreviation RF
Germany None
Greece None
Ireland Text éire
Italy Abbreviation RI
Latvia Text LATVIJA
Lithuania Text LIETUVA
Luxembourg Text LËTZEBUERG
Malta Text Malta
Monaco Text Monaco
Netherlands
Text
until 2013
------------------
Text
from 2014
BEATRIX KONINGIN DER NIEDERLANDEN
----------------
Willem-Alexander Koning der Nederlanden
Portugal Text PORTUGAL
San Marino Text SAN MARINO
Slovakia Text SLOVENSKO
Slovenia Text SLOVENIJA
Spain Text ESPAÑA
Vatican City Text CITTÁ DEL VATICANO





Mint Marks


Here we are breaking new ground that is I think somewhat more interesting than the preceding. What follows comes largely from Wikipedia.

The Mint Marks


Summary of national Identification


Country Mint Location Mint Mark
Belgium Brussels
France Paris
Germany Berlin,München
Stuttgart,Karlsruhe
Hamburg
A,D
F,G
J
Greece Athens
Italy Rome R
Monaco Paris
Netherlands Utrecht
Portugal Lisbon INCM
San Marino Rome R
Spain Madrid
Vatican City Rome R



Return from Identifying Marks to euro coin collector.