Malta 2 Euro 2023

History

2 Euro 2023, KM# 244, Malta, 550th Anniversary of Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus

2 Euro 2023, KM# 244, Malta, 550th Anniversary of Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus, Coincard, front

2 Euro 2023, KM# 244, Malta, 550th Anniversary of Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus, Coincard, back

Obverse. Photo © Monetnik.ru

Description

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) was a Renaissance-era mathematician and astronomer, who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at the center of the universe.

The publication of Copernicus' model in his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), just before his death in 1543, was a major event in the history of science, triggering the Copernican Revolution and making a pioneering contribution to the Scientific Revolution.

Copernicus was born and died in Royal Prussia, a region that had been part of the Kingdom of Poland since 1466. A polyglot and polymath, he obtained a doctorate in canon law and was also a mathematician, astronomer, physician, classics scholar, translator, governor, diplomat, and economist. In 1517 he derived a quantity theory of money—a key concept in economics—and in 1519 he formulated an economic principle that later came to be called Gresham's law.

Obverse	Geography & astronomy Solar System Person (scientist, inventor, explorer, architect etc.) Nicolaus Copernicus Depicts a part of Copernicus's schematic diagram of his heliocentric theory of the Solar System, with the sun in the centre surrounded by the orbits of the 6 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). His half-profile portrait on the right side. The bottom left displays the issuing country "MALTA", year of release "2023", and the name of the coin designer "Daniela Fusco" ("FUSCO"). The reason for issuance, "NIKOLAUS COPERNICUS 1473 ∙ 1543", is written from the left to the top right. The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer coin ring. Engraver: Daniela Fusco NIKOLAUS COPERNICUS 1473 ∙ 1543 ∙ MALTA 2023 FUSCO
Reverse	Geography & astronomy Map 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	Reeded and lettered The sequence "2✠✠" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted 2 ✠✠ 2 ✠✠ 2 ✠✠ 2 ✠✠ 2 ✠✠ 2 ✠✠