Obverse. Photo © Monetnik.ru
  • 2 Euro 2023, KM# 424, Germany, Federal Republic, German Federal States II, Hamburg
  • 2 Euro 2023, KM# 424, Germany, Federal Republic, German Federal States II, Hamburg
Description

The federal government has decided to start the “Federal States II” series, in which a country is to be honoured each year by issuing a 2-euro commemorative coin with a striking landmark. The Federal Republic of Germany has 16 states (German: Bundesländer). The order of the states is based on the presidency of the Bundesrat. The new series focuses in particular on the cultural identity and regional characteristics of the individual countries. It thus follows on from the successful predecessor series "Federal States" (2006 - 2022), which expired in January 2022.

Obverse

Depicts Elbphilharmonie, the new landmark of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The design represents the federal state of Hamburg extremely convincingly through the impressive, detailed representation of the concert building in front of the maritime city scenery. The core area also contains the nationality designation "D" for the issuing country Federal Republic of Germany, the year 2023, the embossed letter of the respective mint, the lettering "HAMBURG" and the initials of the artist. The twelve stars of Europe are arranged on the outer ring of the national side.

The Elbphilharmonie, popularly nicknamed Elphi, is a concert hall in the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg, Germany, on the Grasbrook peninsula of the Elbe River. It is among the largest in the world.

The new glassy construction resembles a hoisted sail, water wave, iceberg or quartz crystal resting on top of an old brick warehouse (Kaispeicher A, built in 1963) near the historical Speicherstadt. The project is the result of a private initiative by the architect and real estate developer Alexander Gérard and his wife Jana Marko] an art historian, who commissioned the original design by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, who developed and promoted the project (since 2003 in cooperation with the Hamburg-based real estate developer and investor Dieter Becken) for 3.5 years until the City of Hamburg decided to develop the project by itself. It is the key project of the new Hafencity development and the tallest inhabited building in Hamburg, with a final height of 108 metres (354 ft). The Elbphilharmonie was officially inaugurated with concerts of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and a light show on 11 January 2017.

Engraver: Michael Otto (mo)

D
2023
D mo
HAMBURG

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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