Depicts the portrait of Prince Albert I, country name and date of the issue above, his name and dates of his life surrounded by the mint marks of the mint and the general engraver. The twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring.

Albert’s heart stayed with the ocean. After ascending to the throne, he became closer to Professor Milne-Edwards, director of the Natural History Museum in Paris. Professor supported the Prince’s idea of creating a “temple” dedicated to the ocean, its history, flora, and fauna. Albert wanted to share all the knowledge and discoveries he had accumulated in the 28 expeditions prior to his taking the throne. As a result, the Monaco Oceanographic Museum was opened on 25 October, 1910. Up to this day it is known and recognised worldwide for its rich collections. Six months after opening, on 23 January, 1911, the Institute of Oceanography was opened in Paris, on the initiative of Prince Albert I.

However, oceanography was not the only science that attacted the Prince’s inquisitive mind. He was also interested in anthropology and palaeontology. The Anthropological Museum was thus opened in Paris in 1902. And a year later, the Institute of Human Palaeontology.

The Prince knew too well that he could not embark on any more long voyages, but his desire for exploring the sea depths and learning their secrets did not leave him. Albert I therefore sponsored more than 3,500 expeditions and built research ships mainly from the income of the Monte-Carlo casino.

All his discoveries were recognised by the world scientific community. In 1909 Prince Albert I was elected member of the British Academy of Sciences and in 1921 he received an honourary gold medal from the American Geographical Society where he was referred to as “Prince Scientist.”

Mintmark: Cornucopia (Paris Mint, Pessac, France)
Mark of the engraver Joaquin Jimenez: square within a larger square

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.”

The sequence "2 ★ ★" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted