Irish euro coins
Encyclopedia
Irish euro coins all share the same design by Jarlath Hayes, that of the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...

, a traditional symbol for Ireland since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

, based on that of the Brian Boru harp, housed in Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...

. The same harp is used as the official seals of the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...

, and government ministers and the Seal of the President of Ireland. The coins' design also features the 12 stars of the EU
European symbols
A number of symbols of Europe have emerged throughout history. Depending on the symbol, they can apply to Europe as a whole, European unity or merely to the European Union...

, the year of imprint and the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 name for Ireland, "ÉIRE
Éire
is the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name.- Etymology :The modern Irish Éire evolved from the Old Irish word Ériu, which was the name of a Gaelic goddess. Ériu is generally believed to have been the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, or...

", in the traditional Gaelic script.

Irish euro design

For images of the common side and a detailed description of the coins, see euro coins
Euro coins
There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euros . The coins first came into use in 2002. They have a common reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the eurozone has its own design on the obverse, which means that each coin has a variety of different...

.

Circulating Mintage quantities

Face Value €0.01 €0.02 €0.05 €0.10 €0.20 €0.50 €1.00 €2.00 €2.00 Comm
2002 404,334,788 354,638,386 456,265,848 275,908,284 234,570,562 144,139,592 135,134,737 90,543,166 *
2003 77,902,182 177,290,034 48,352,370 133.815,907 57,142,221 11,812,326 2,520,700 2,631,076 *
2004 174,833,634 143,004,694 80,354,322 36,772,778 32,421,447 6,749,312 1,632,990 3,738,186 *
2005 127,019,391 72,599,884 56,509,380 4,707,786 40,494,062 17,308,568 6,824,777 12,037,981 *
2006 105,468,273 26,628,597 88,058,370 9,263,411 10,417,229 1,021,138 4,078,722 3,920,519 *
2007 18,515,843 84,291,248 36,225,742 54,434,307 12,953,789 4,991,002 1,850,049 5,413,663 4,650,112
2008 5,744,031 52,068 50,000 11,794,508 14,786,835 50,000 2,609,757 5,822,003 *
2009 11,626,863 5,049,923 28,333,341 10,850,328 4,279,307 1,866,011 3,314,828 30,063 3,805,908
2010 4,946,911 3,496,511 1,023,881 1,078,313 1,027,059 1,173,242 1,082,716 1,448,746 *
2011 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *

* No coins were minted that year for that denomination

** Data not available yet

*** Small quantities minted for sets only

Identifying marks

National Identifier "éıʀe"
Mint Mark None
Engravers Initials None
€2 Edge inscription

€2 commemorative coins

Ireland is one of the few eurozone countries that so far has not issued an independent €2 euro commemorative coin.

Irish proof sets

In 2006 & 2007 the Central Bank of Ireland issued a limited edition of its Euro coins in proof quality.

Irish starter kit

In 2001 the Central Bank of Ireland issued starter kits for the introduction of the Euro.

External links

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