Another "Louis Braille"

Issuance year - 2009, September/October

Depicted in the image, one more coin sent by Bernard from Netherlands. This fabulous Italian coin celebrates the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth. The coin depicts a hand reading an open book by touch. The index finger points at a vertical inscription ‘LOUIS BRAILLE 1809-2009’ and two birds in flight above the hand symbolise freedom of knowledge. Braille’s name is written under the book in the alphabet that he invented. Last year, Belgium has also issued one commemorative coin celebrating Louis Braille. Thanks.

See last Post

Issuing volume: 2.500.000

Cheaper by the dozen...

Issuance year - 2009, October

Another swap with Bernard from Netherlands. This time he sent me 12 coins - this magnificent 2009 "200th anniversary of Finnish autonomy and Porvoo Diet" one, along with 2 more commemorative coins - the Slovak "Freedom and Democracy" and the Italian "Louis Braille", and some currency coins (all depicted in the image), in exchange for several Portuguese ones. Thanks.

The first Diet of Finland met in 1809 in Porvoo, so the coin shows a profile of Porvoo cathedral, where the opening ceremony took place, and ‘1809’ written in stylised numbering above.

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FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAAA

Issuing volume: 1.600.000

"Facebook" Italian EMU coin

Issuance year - 2009, January

Due to one Facebook italian contact, Valerio Estel, I received the Italian EMU depicted in the image, in exchange for a Portuguese commemorative coin. Now, as I'm waiting for the Cypriot EMU, only the Irish and Finnish ones are missing.

For the second time in its short story, all eurozone member states have issued a €2 coin with a common design also on the national side. In 2007, the issue celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, while this new fabulous €2 coin celebrates ten years of economic and monetary union (EMU).

annnnnnnnnnnnnn a Issuing volume: 2.500.000

Morabitino

Issued year - 2009, September

Once in a while, not as often as I wish, Alexandra Vieira, a work mate, gives me precious coins, as this time. This coin recreates the gold Morabitino struck in Braga or in Lisbon in the reign of D. Sancho II (1223-1248), only one copy known to exist, belonging to the Portuguese Numismatic Museum, today considered to be one of the most important numismatic treasures.
The «Morabitino de D. Sancho II», with a face value of 1.50 euro, is the first of five coins to be issued by the Portuguese Mint and Official Printing Office, that initiates, in 2009, the minting of a series of collection coins called «Tesouros Numismáticos Portugueses» (Portuguese Numismatic Treasures) recreating five of the most beautiful and rare examples of Portuguese coins. Being a modern coin, its design is very close to the original it commemorates. It shows in its obverse the legend of the «República Portuguesa», the face value, the era and national shield represented in order to form a set with the composition shown in reverse where the image of the face «Morabitino» is recreated with the image of the King on horseback surrounded by the legend «REGIS PORTVGALENSVM».

Only one available to swap

Issuing volume: 100.000

Olé...spanish EMU

Issuance year - 2009, January

24, not the famous TV serie but the number of coins that George from Greece sent me for our last swap. The missing Spanish EMU coin (depicted in the image), the Greek EMU one and several currency missing coins, in exchange for several currency and also commemorative portuguese coins. Now, only Irish, Finnish and the Cypriot EMU coins, are missing.

EU citizens and residents have selected this winning design celebrating 10 years of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the creation of the euro.

Issuing volume of the Spanish EMU coin: 8.000.000

German EMU from Netherlands

Issued year - 2009, January
Finally the post about the 5th commemorative sent by Bernard, from Netherlands. The German coin depicted in the image becomes the 2nd German EMU coin in my collection, this one with mintmark "F" - Karslruhe. Three more mintmarks are still missing, A, D and J.

The new 2 euro coin, issued last January, celebrates ten years of economic and monetary union (EMU). EU citizens and residents have selected the design by an on-line vote. The design, which symbolizes the euro as the latest step in the long history of European economic integration, was created by Mr G. Stamatopoulos, sculptor at the Minting Department of the Greek Central Bank. The centre of the coin shows a stylised human figure whose left arm is prolonged by the euro symbol.

See last 3 posts
A = Berlin Mint

D = Munich Mint

F = Stuttgart Mint

G = Karslruhe Mint

J = Hamburg Mint

Issuing volume: 30.000.000

New year - Saarland State

1
1

Issued year - 2009, February

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaSaarland State - Bundesländer

1 Saajjj
One more magnificent coin sent by Bernard, from Netherlands, in our last swap, still in 2009. Now, with this coin with mintmark "J"-Hamburg, the 2009 German Bunsdesland series coins (4th of 16) is completed (5 coins with five different mintmarks).

Germany started the commemorative coin series "Die 16 Bundesländer der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" (The 16 States of the Federal Republic of Germany) in 2006. One coin representing a German state will be issued per year between 2006 and 2021 and will coincide with that state's presidency of the 'Bundesrat'.

See last posts and the next one...

Issuing volume of this 2009 Saarland bundesland series: 30.000.000

A touch of Genius

Issued year - 2009, September

The bicentenary of the birth of Louis Braille coin, along with the others depicted in the image were also sent by Bernard, in exchange for several portuguese ones.

In the French town of Coupvray, near Paris, there stands a little stone house that, in 1809, was the home of the local harness maker, Simon René Braille, his wife Monique, and their growing family. On January 4th of that year, the house grew a little livelier with the birth of their fourth child, Louis. Louis was a bright and inquisitive child, characteristics that were to play a role both in the tragic accident that caused his blindness and in his triumph over the limitations to reading that were the normal consequences of blindness at that time...See last post and the next ones

Issuing volume: 5.000.000

Two more Mecklenburg

Issued year - 2007, February
Still in November, the second swap with Bernard from The Netherlands brought me 5 commemorative (all depicted in the image) and 2 currency coins. Now, with these 2 commemorative German second series - 2007 with mintmarks "G" and "J", only mintmark "A", is missing. Thanks, Bernard.

Germany started the commemorative coin series "The 16 States of the Federal Republic of Germany" in 2006. One coin representing a German state will be issued per year between 2006 and 2021 and will coincide with that state's presidency of the 'Bundesrat'.

See the next Posts

Issuing volume of this 2007 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Bundesland series:

"A" - Berlin: aaaAa1.000.000

"D" - Munich: aaa14.500.000

"F" - Stuttgart: Aa8.000.000

"G" - Karslruhe: a5.000.000

"J" - Hamburg: aA1.500.000mmmmmTotal: 30.000.000

Luxembourg EMU

Issued year - 2009, January

There it is. Depicted in the image, the second commemorative coin that Marián Sedílek, from Slovakia, sent me (see last post). One magnificent coin commemorating ten years of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), from Luxembourg, with a slightly different design from all the other countries (with vertical stripes in the center).

As a rule, euro countries may each issue only one €2 commemorative coin per year. Exceptionally, they are allowed to issue another, provided that it is a joint issuance like this EMU coin, and commemorates events of European-wide importance. These coins use a common design on the national side, showing the name of the issuing country as well as the event commemorated in the respective language(s).

Once again, thanks...

Issuing volume: 1.400.000

Freedom and Democracy

Issued year - 2009, November

This new Slovakian beauty depicted in the image together with the Luxembourg EMU coin, are the result of my first exchange with Marián Sedílek, from Slovakia. These two in exchange for 2 commemorative portuguese coins.

20th anniversary of 17 November 1989 (Day of the fight for freedom and democracy).The coin shows a stylised bell with keys serving as clappers. It recalls the demonstration on 17 November 1989 when protesters jangled their keys to symbolise the unlocking of doors, an event which marked the beginning of the ‘Velvet Revolution’ in Czechoslovakia, as it then was.

Thanks, Marián.

See next Post

Issuing volume: 1.000.000

German EMU

Issued year - 2009, January
It's almost 2010 and only now have I been able to get my first German EMU - with mintmark "G" - Karslruhe, due to a recent swap with Agostoni Roberta, from Italy. In our first swap, she sent me 4 coins, the German EMU and 3 currency coins, all depicted in the image, in exchange by several portuguese coins.

Thanks, Roberta.

The new 2 euro coin, issued last January, celebrates ten years of economic and monetary union (EMU). EU citizens and residents have selected the design by an on-line vote. The design, which symbolizes the euro as the latest step in the long history of European economic integration, was created by Mr G. Stamatopoulos, sculptor at the Minting Department of the Greek Central Bank. The centre of the coin shows a stylised human figure whose left arm is prolonged by the euro symbol.

A = Berlin Mint

D = Munich Mint

F = Stuttgart Mint

G = Karslruhe Mint

J = Hamburg Mint

Issuing volume: 30.000.000

22 coins

1
1

Issued year - 2009, February

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaSaarland State - Bundesländer

1 Saajjj
22 coins (all depicted in the image) sent by Bernard de Waard, from Netherlands, in our first swap. In exchange for several portuguese coins, I receive his package with 21 currency and one fabulous commemorative Saarland State coin, featuring Ludwig Church in Saarbrücken with mintmark "G" - Karslruhe.

And we are now working on a new swap.

Thanks, Bernard.

Germany started the commemorative coin series "Die 16 Bundesländer der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" (The 16 States of the Federal Republic of Germany) in 2006. One coin representing a German state will be issued per year between 2006 and 2021 and will coincide with that state's presidency of the 'Bundesrat'.

Issuing volume of this 2009 Saarland bundesland series: 30.000.000

Greek EMU

Issuance year - 2009, January

George, from the country who created the Democracy, Greece, sent me all the coins depicted in the image, as a result of our last swap, happening last October.

The rare and magnificent 2009 commemorative EMU, but also one commemorative 2007 Rome Treaty and several missing currency, all from Greece, in exchange for portuguese coins and one Malta EMU coin.

Thanks, George.

Issuing volume of the Greek EMU: 4.000.000

Lost

Issuance year - 2007, March

Lost in time, the Austrian coin depicted in the image, is one of my first Rome Treaty in my collection, but I don't remember where or how I got it and I simply forgot to mention it here, all this time .
Austria has issued a 2 Euro commemorative coin in connection with 50th Anniversary of signing of the State Treaty.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Issuing volume: 9.000.000