Irish euro coins
Encyclopedia
Irish euro coins all share the same design by Jarlath Hayes, that of the harp
, a traditional symbol for Ireland since the Middle Ages
, based on that of the Brian Boru harp, housed in Trinity College, Dublin
. The same harp is used as the official seals of the Taoiseach
, and government ministers and the Seal of the President of Ireland. The coins' design also features the 12 stars of the EU
, the year of imprint and the Irish
name for Ireland, "ÉIRE
", in the traditional Gaelic script.
.
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 coinsEuro 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 | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | * |
Identifying marks
National Identifier | "éıʀe" |
Mint Mark | None |
Engravers Initials | None |
€2 Edge inscription | |