Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 10 Euro 2008, KM# 266, Belgium, Albert II, Eurostar - Cultural Heritage, 100th Anniversary of the Blue Bird Play
  • 10 Euro 2008, KM# 266, Belgium, Albert II, Eurostar - Cultural Heritage, 100th Anniversary of the Blue Bird Play
Description

This coin was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Maurice Maeterlinck's greatest contemporary success: the Blue Bird (French: L'Oiseau bleu), written in 1908. Maurice was a Belgian poet, playwright, and essayist writing in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911.

The Blue Bird is a story about a girl called Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl seeking happiness, represented by The Blue Bird of Happiness, aided by the good fairy Bérylune. It premiered on 30 September 1908 at Constantin Stanislavski's Moscow Art Theatre and has been turned into several films and a TV series. The French composer Albert Wolff wrote an opera based on Maeterlinck's original play, and Maeterlinck's innamorata Georgette Leblanc produced a novelization.

The collector coin is part of the Europa Coin Programme, also known as the European Silver Programme, or the Eurostar Programme. It is an initiative dedicated to the issuance of collector-oriented legal tender coins in precious metals to celebrate European identity. The issuing authorities of EU member countries voluntarily contribute coins to the Europa Coin Programme. Multiple countries have participated in the programme, beginning in 2004. Some coins are denominated in euro, others are denominated in other currencies.

Obverse

Depicts a clear view of all the countries of the Eurozone, surrounded by the word Belgium in the three official languages and the face value.

Mint mark: Head of archangel St. Michael is a patron saint of Brussels (Royal Belgian Mint)
Privy mark: Royal Belgian Mint director Romain Coenen (scale)
Designer Luc Luycx (LL)

BELGIQUE-BELGIE-BELGIEN
PP
10 EURO
2008
LL

Reverse

Depicts the image of the blue bird spreading its wings and leaving the confines of its cage for freedom. The unusual aspect of this coin is that the bird itself is actually colored in blue (as in the name of the play). Above the bird are the years signifying the 100th anniversary of the Blue Bird play, 1908–2008. In a semicircle around the top rim of the coin is the name of Maurice Maeterlinck, while around the bottom are the words, in French and Dutch respectively, for The Blue Bird.

The Eurostar logo (on the top middle) is the special mark used on coins to indicate participation in the Europa Coin Programme.

MAURICE MAETERLINCK
1908
2008
L´OISEAU BLEU DE BLAUE VOGEL

Edge

10 Euro

Eurostar - Cultural Heritage
100th Anniversary of the Blue Bird Play

Subscribe series
KM# 266 Schön# 250 LA# BEM-11.12
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 18.75 g
Diameter 33 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Royal Belgian Mint

Related coins

100th Anniversary of Birth of Herbert von Karajan

Eurostar - Cultural Heritage

Silver, 10 g, ⌀ 28.5 mm
100th Anniversary of the Blue Bird Play

Eurostar - Cultural Heritage

Silver, 18.75 g, ⌀ 33 mm
90th Anniversary of the Finnish Flag

Eurostar - Cultural Heritage

Silver, 25.5 g, ⌀ 38.6 mm