Description

Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (1898–1976) was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. His architectural work, throughout his entire career, is characterized by a concern for design as Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art in which he, together with his first wife Aino Aalto, would design not only the building but the interior surfaces, furniture, lamps, and glassware as well. His furniture designs are considered Scandinavian Modern, an aesthetic reflected in their elegant simplification and concern for materials, especially wood, but also in Aalto's technical innovations, which led him to receive patents for various manufacturing processes, such as those used to produce bentwood.

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.

Two major changes have been made to the series in 2016: an obverse designed according to a common principle and the introduction of a five-year thematic sequence featuring five ages of Europe. The sequence starts in 2016 with Modern 20th Century.

While 10,000 proof specimens of the 10-euro Aalto coin were minted, 100 coins were packaged in special glass cases and individually numbered.

Designer: Aimo Katajamäki