Euro coin designs that did not make it

[chrisild]

Do either of you get the opportunity to view such designs by the mints of your own countries?

Sort of. When new German commemorative and collector coins are planned, the government makes those designs public that won a prize in the design contest. In other words, we get to see the winner plus (usually) three others. Some time ago I bought a book (more than 500 pages) about the designs of the "special" DM coins which even shows most non-winners from the 1950s and 1960s.

Christian

[Galapagos]

Some time ago I bought a book (more than 500 pages) about the designs of the "special" DM coins which even shows most non-winners from the 1950s and 1960s.

Christian

Maybe you could scan and post some of the more interesting ones, if you still have the book.

[chrisild]

Will take a few days before I can do that, but basically yes. While you are waiting, you can beat some time by checking out the designs listed here:
http://www.bbr.bund.de/cln_005/nn_21470/DE/WettbewerbeAusschreibungen/Muenzwettbewerbe/Ablage__AbgeschlWettbewerbe/AbgeschlWettbewerbe.html

The descriptions, and the comments about what the jury liked or did not like, are all in German. But the photos do not require any translation.   Oh, and the book that I have is this one: http://www.medaillenkunst.de/publikationen/0000000321.htm

It also accompanied an exhibition (same title) which showed mostly photos and plaster models. What I found interesting is that, in a few cases, the government did not pick the design that the jury found to be the best, but another one. And sometimes commemorative coins are canceled even after the design competition. The most famous example was the piece that was supposed to commemorate Saarland's joining the Federal Republic (1958-59). Famous because some say it was not issued due to political considerations. Other coins did not make it because of a supposedly full schedule: Hölderlin 1970 and Luther 1971 for example ...

Christian

[Galapagos]

Wonderful images! Thanks, Christian, I'll have fun looking at those. I wish we had something similar, easily and officially available in the UK. Virtually all the unsuccessful entries for the new UK circulation designs (2008) have never been shown.

[chrisild]

Here are the nine "finalists" of the 1996-1997 euro coin design competition. In 1996 the European Commission asked the member states to submit design suggestions for the future common sides. More than 30 series were entered, and in early 1997 a European jury selected nine of them.

What followed was a survey among 2000 European Union citizens, a technical feasibility report, consultations with various organizations from vending machine manufacturers and consumer organizations to blind and vision impaired people. In June 1997 the Council chose and (on 17 June in Amsterdam) presented the winning design, by Luc Luycx.

This winning series is depicted in the ninth and last of the following posts ("Design I"). However, Luycx then had to modify his design: On the cent coins, the "euro" part had to be in a smaller font size, as the name of that unit is "cent". On the euro coins, the dot at the bottom (supposed to be a latent image) was removed, and various islands added to the map.

Unfortunately I do not know the names of the first eight designers. Does anybody have an idea who made those?

Christian

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design A

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design B

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design C

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design D

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design E

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design F

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design G (Eugenio Driutti and Maurizio Soccorsi)

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design H (Ulrich Böhme)

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Euro Coin Design Competition 1996-97 / Design I (Luc Luycx)

[Galapagos]

Thanks for posting those, Christian. There's some intriguing material here. A small number of the designs were eventually used, if in altered form, e.g. the Vitruvian Man, by Leonardo da Vinci. Design H would be my favourite overall. What is the building on the 10 eurocents, design F? Were design descriptions provided with them?

I assume that a lot of the architectural details on other designs are generic and not necessarily taken from actual buildings, living or dead.