Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 2 Euro 2020, KM# 389, Germany, Federal Republic, German Federal States, Brandenburg
  • 2 Euro 2020, KM# 389, Germany, Federal Republic, German Federal States, Brandenburg
Description

The Federal Republic of Germany has 16 states (German: Bundesländer). Since 2006, Germany issues every year a Bundesländer coin for a specific state that has that’s year’s presidency of the Bundesrat.

Brandenburg is located in the northeast of Germany. Potsdam is the state capital and largest city, while other major cities include Brandenburg an der Havel, Cottbus, and Frankfurt (Oder). Brandenburg surrounds the national capital and city-state of Berlin, which together form the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, the third-largest metropolitan area in Germany. Brandenburg borders the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, and the country of Poland.

Brandenburg originated in the Northern March in the 900s AD from areas conquered from the Wends, and later became the Margraviate of Brandenburg, a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire, with Albert the Bear as prince-elector. In the 15th century Brandenburg came under the rule of the House of Hohenzollern, who later also became the rulers of the Duchy of Prussia, who established Brandenburg-Prussia to become the core of the later Kingdom of Prussia. Brandenburg became the Province of Brandenburg in 1815, a province within the kingdom and later within the Free State of Prussia. Brandenburg was established as a state in 1945 after World War II by the Soviet army administration in Allied-occupied Germany, and became part of the German Democratic Republic in 1947. Brandenburg was dissolved in 1952 during administrative reforms and its territory divided into the districts of Potsdam, Cottbus, Frankfurt, Neubrandenburg, and Schwerin, but was re-established in 1990 following German reunification, and became one of the Federal Republic of Germany's new states.

Obverse

Depicts the south facing garden façade of Sanssouci Palace of Potsdam. Date above and inscription below the building. National identifying mark (D for Deutschland / Germany) is below the inscription. Mintmark (A for Berlin, D for Munich, F for Stuttgart, G for Karlsruhe, J for Hamburg) on the upper left and engraver's privy mark on the upper right.

Sanssouci is the summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is notable for the numerous temples and follies in the park. The palace was designed/built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick's need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the Berlin court. The palace's name emphasises this; it is a French phrase (sans souci), which translates as "without concerns", meaning "without worries" or "carefree", symbolising that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power. The name in past times reflected a play on words, with the insertion of a comma visible between the words Sans and Souci, viz. Sans, Souci.

During the 19th century, the palace became a residence of Frederick William IV. He employed the architect Ludwig Persius to restore and enlarge the palace, while Ferdinand von Arnim was charged with improving the grounds and thus the view from the palace. The town of Potsdam, with its palaces, was a favourite place of residence for the German imperial family until the fall of the Hohenzollern dynasty in 1918.

Engraver: Jordi Truxa

2020
G Jt
BRANDENBURG
D

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

UNITY AND JUSTICE AND FREEDOM in German, Germany's national motto and the beginning of Germany's national anthem, followed by the Federal Eagle

EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT

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
Mints
Bavarian Central Mint (D)
Berlin State Mint (A)
Hamburg Mint (J)
Karlsruhe State Mint (G)
Stuttgart State Mint (F)

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