European Commission to review euro coins series

[eurocoin]

It is only today that I found out that since 2020, it is no longer possible to obtain rolls of 1 and 2 euro cent coins anywhere in the Netherlands. That year, the Dutch commercial banks started a collective for the distribution of cash, closed all of the cash machines at their own branches and placed joint new ones at the hardware stores. The new coin roll machines do not have 1 and 2 euro cent rolls anymore. The new coin deposit machines at the hardware stores do accept 1 and 2 euro cent coins. It is also not possible to obtain coin rolls at the Dutch National Bank. In Belgium I was recently still able to get 1 and 2 euro cent rolls from my bank over the counter, although they too were slightly hesitant. The last time someone had enquired for these denominations was over a year ago.

The decision of the European Commission in regard of the review of the euro coin series, which was expected at the end of last year, seems to have great delay. For me this is good news, as I like the 1 and 2 euro cent coins, and do not expect that they will decide to introduce a standard circulating 5 euro coin. The seemingly unavoidable abolition of 2 circulating coin denominations is bad for the hobby.

[eurocoin]

It is now expected that there will be an advice of the European Commission on the future of the 1 and 2 euro cent coins in December. Way later than expected, but I do not mind. The European Commission can not take a final decision on this itself. It is eventually the Council of the European Union that will decide.

[eurocoin]

The advice on the future of the 1 and 2 cent coins is still expected. It is now several years late.

Earlier today, I went to the National Bank of Belgium in Brussels to get 10,000 pieces of 1 and 2 euro cent.

In the meantime I found out that in the Netherlands only 1 small commercial bank (Regiobank) allegedly still has limited stocks of 1 and 2 cent coins. In Belgium commercial banks only still reluctantly provide their last stock. Somewhat to my surprise even at the National Bank they were not happy with the request but provided the coins regardless. They said that they only still had limited stock.

In contrary to my previous visits, all of the people who I spoke to at the National Bank of Belgium were bilingual at least to some extent.