Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 2 Euro 2008-2023, KM# 251, Italy
  • 2 Euro 2008-2023, KM# 251, Italy
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

A portrait drawn by Raphael of Dante Alighieri, housed in the Pope Julius II Wing of the Vatican City Palace, surrounded by the 12 stars of the European Union; on the left overlapping the letters 'R' and 'I', and date; on the bottom left the letter 'R'; under the portrait the engraver's initials, 'MCC'.

Durante degli Alighieri, simply called Dante (c. 1265 – 1321), was a major Italian poet of the Late Middle Ages. His Divine Comedy, originally called Comedìa and later christened Divina by Boccaccio, is widely considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. Dante has been called "the Father of the Italian language" and one of the greatest poets of world literature. In Italy, Dante is often referred to as il Sommo Poeta ("the Supreme Poet") and il Poeta.

Engraver: Maria Carmela Colaneri

RI
2012
R
M.C.C.

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

The sequence "2 ★" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted

2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★

2 Euro

2nd map
KM# 251 Schön# 293
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Characteristics
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
Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute (IPZS)

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