Reproduction of Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, surrounded by the 12 stars of the European Union; on the top the overlapping letters 'R' and 'I'; on the left the letter 'R'; on the right date; on the bottom left the engraver's initials, the overlapping letters 'LC'.

The Vitruvian Man is a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci around 1490. The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a man in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and inscribed in a circle and square. The drawing is based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. He described the human figure as being the principal source of proportion among the classical orders of architecture. Leonardo's drawing is traditionally named in honor of the architect.

Engraver: Laura Cretara

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.”