Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 2 Euro 2016, KM# 78, Estonia, 100th Anniversary of Birth of Paul Keres
  • 2 Euro 2016, KM# 78, Estonia, 100th Anniversary of Birth of Paul Keres
  • 2 Euro 2016, KM# 78, Estonia, 100th Anniversary of Birth of Paul Keres, Brilliant Uncirculated in the Illustrated wallet
Description

Paul Keres (1916–1975) was an Estonian chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s.

Keres narrowly missed a chance at a world championship match on five occasions. He won the 1938 AVRO tournament, which led to negotiations for a title match against champion Alexander Alekhine, but the match never took place due to World War II. After the war Keres was runner-up in the Candidates' Tournament on four consecutive occasions.

Due to these and other strong results, many chess historians consider Keres the strongest player never to become world champion and one of the greatest players in history. He was nicknamed "Paul the Second", "The Eternal Second" and "The Crown Prince of Chess". Keres, along with Viktor Korchnoi and Alexander Beliavsky, defeated nine undisputed world champions — more than anyone else in history.

In 2000, Keres was elected the Estonian Sportsman of the Century. 2016 has named the year of Paul Keres by FIDE. In 1992 Estonia honored Keres by putting him on their 5 Krooni note.

Obverse

Depicts a portrait of Keres looking down at a chess board which is represented by two squares. Also shown are four chess pieces – pawn, bishop, knight and queen. Country name and date on the left. The outer ring contains the twelve stars of the European Union.

Design: Riho Luuse

PAUL KERES
EESTI
2016

Reverse

A geographical map of Western Europe spans the outer ring and inner core on the right side of the coin. The inscription 2 EURO is superimposed over the map of Europe, with the numeral “2” located in an open field representing the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

12 stars are located on the right side of the outer ring, with six stars atop the map of Europe and six stars below it; six vertical stripes cut across the inner core of the coin, visually connecting the upper and lower star segments.

Luc Luycx, a designer at the Royal Belgian Mint, designed the Euro’s common reverse; his initials, LL, are seen on the right side of the design, just under the “O” in “EURO.”

2 EURO
LL

Edge

ESTONIA in Estonian upright and inverted. The height of the letters and symbols in the edge text is slightly smaller than on the earlier two-euro circulation coins

EESTI ○ EESTI ○

2 Euro

100th Anniversary of Birth of Paul Keres

KM# 78
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Bi-Metallic
Ring Cupronickel
Center Nickel Brass
Weight 8.5 g
Diameter 27.25 mm
Thickness 2.2 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Lithuanian Mint (LMK)

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