Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 1 Euro 2007-2023, KM# 257, Germany, Federal Republic
  • 1 Euro 2007-2023, KM# 257, Germany, Federal Republic
Description

On 7 June 2005, the European Council decided that the common side of the €0.10 to €2 coins should be brought up to date to reflect the enlargement of the EU in 2004. The €0.01, €0.02 and €0.05 coins show Europe in relation to the rest of the world, therefore they remained unchanged. In 2007, the new design was introduced. The design still retains all elements of the original designs but the map of the fifteen states is replaced by one showing the whole of Europe as a continent, without borders, to stress unity.

Obverse

The eagle, the traditional symbol of German sovereignty, is surrounded by the twelve stars of Europe. Mintmark and date below.

The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle with red feet, beak and tongue on a golden field. This is the Bundesadler or "Federal Eagle", formerly the Reichsadler or "Imperial Eagle". It is a re-introduction of the coat of arms of the Weimar Republic (in use 1919–1935) adopted by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1950. The current official design is due to Tobias Schwab (1887–1967) and was introduced in 1928.

The German Empire of 1871–1918 had re-introduced the medieval coat of arms of the Holy Roman Emperors, in use during the 13th and 14th centuries (a black single-headed eagle on a golden background), before the emperors adopted the double-headed eagle, beginning with Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1433. The single-headed Prussian Eagle was used as an escutcheon to represent the Prussian Kings as dynasts of the German Empire. The Weimar Republic introduced a version in which the escutcheon and other monarchical symbols were removed.

Engravers: Heinz Hoyer, Sneschana Russewa-Hoyer

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2009 J

Reverse

A geographical map of Western Europe spans the outer ring and inner core on the right side of the coin. The inscription 1 EURO is superimposed over the map of Europe, with the numeral “1” 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.”

1 EURO
LL

Edge

1 Euro

2nd map
KM# 257 Schön# 252 Jaeger# 488a
Characteristics
Material Cupronickel
Weight 7.5 g
Diameter 23.25 mm
Thickness 2.33 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mints
Bavarian Central Mint (D)
Berlin State Mint (A)
Hamburg Mint (J)
Karlsruhe State Mint (G)
Stuttgart State Mint (F)

Related coins

1st map

Bi-Metallic, 7.5 g, ⌀ 23.25 mm