Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 2 Euro 2015, KM# 233, Finland, Republic, 150th Anniversary of Birth of Jean Sibelius
  • 2 Euro 2015, KM# 233, Finland, Republic, 150th Anniversary of Birth of Jean Sibelius
  • 2 Euro 2015, KM# 233, Finland, Republic, 150th Anniversary of Birth of Jean Sibelius, Purse
  • 2 Euro 2015, KM# 233, Finland, Republic, 150th Anniversary of Birth of Jean Sibelius, Roll
  • 2 Euro 2015, KM# 233, Finland, Republic, 150th Anniversary of Birth of Jean Sibelius, Casing
Description

Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as his country's greatest composer and, through his music, is often credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia.

The core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies which, like his other major works, continue to be performed and recorded in his home country and internationally. His best-known compositions are Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite). Other works include pieces inspired by the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, over a hundred songs for voice and piano, incidental music for numerous plays, the opera Jungfrun i tornet (The Maiden in the Tower), chamber music, piano music, Masonic ritual music, and 21 publications of choral music.

The Finnish 100 mark note featured his image until 2002 when the euro was adopted. Since 2011, Finland has celebrated a Flag Day on 8 December, the composer's birthday, also known as the "Day of Finnish Music".

Obverse

Depicts the starry sky of Ainola and a copse of pine trees, under which Sibelius was captured in several photographs. Ainola, meaning "Aino's place", was the home of the composer Jean Sibelius, his wife Aino and their family from the autumn of 1904 until 1972. It stands on the scenic shores of Lake Tuusulanjärvi in Järvenpää, 38 kilometers north of Helsinki, the Finnish capital. It was designed by the famous architect Lars Sonck. The only requests Sibelius had for Sonck were to include both a lakefront view and a green fireplace in the dining room. Water pipes were never installed until after Sibelius died because he did not want the distraction while he was there composing.

Logo of the Mint of Finland is a lion on the middle right.

Designer: Nora Tapper

2015 FI
JEAN SIBELIUS

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

"SUOMI FINLAND" (FINLAND in Finnish and Swedish, the two official languages in Finland), followed by three lion's heads

SUOMI FINLAND

Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Bi-Metallic
Ring Cupronickel
Center Nickel Brass
Weight 8.5 g
Diameter 25.75 mm
Thickness 2.2 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Mint of Finland

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