The design is based on the cave drawings of Lake Onega, in which the symbols for the hunter, the elk, the water bird and the sun form the symbolic circle of life for the Finno-Ugric peoples. The central figure is a water bird, as the modern and ancient Finno-Ugric peoples are peoples of the water bird. The Onega petroglyphs appear on the UNESCO list of world heritage.

Lake Onega (also known as Onego, Finnish: Ääninen or Äänisjärvi) is a lake in the north-west European part of Russia, located on the territory of Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast. The attraction of the lake is the Onega petroglyphs (rock, cave engravings). They are located on the eastern coast of the lake and date back to between the 4th and 2nd millennia BC. There are about 1,200 petroglyphs scattered over the 20 km (12 mi) area including several capes. The engravings are 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) deep and depict animals, people, boats and geometrical shapes of circular and crescent shapes.

Designers: Al Paldrok and Madis Põldsaar

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.”

ESTONIA in Estonian upright and inverted.