Euro Münzkatalog and Die €uro-Münzen

[Miguel.mateo]

Aldo,

Thank you for your welcoming message!

Very useful information, I was wondering if there is any web site that explains about previous issues technical specifications like diameter, weight ... as well as pictures and descriptions.  I am just starting my euro silver and gold collection (I already have all commemorative and circulating coins, of all years that had even a slight change in the design, including changes in mint marks) ... so I am looking for a lot of information to start building a new era in my collection.  To be absolutely honest, I am missing information from the countries: Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino and Vatican City).

If anyone can help me with sites with info, even in other languages, it will be very helpfull.

Thanks,
Miguel

[Figleaf]

Our member a3v1 has penned a very extensive study on euro coins that, I am sure, will answer all your questions. In my opinion, a3v1 is a reliable researcher with in-depth knowledge of this area, so I think this study is better, more complete and more up to date than any catalogue.

Although the study is in Dutch, you will find it easy to follow (remember that there is a multilingual glossary of numismatic terms on this site). You can download the study here.

Peter

[Miguel.mateo]

Hi Figleaf,

I was so looking forward to open the document you mentioned but:

  1) I can only ope nthe first 9 pages, I have tried in two different computers (seems like the document is corrupted)
  2) The first nine pages just talked about circulating commemorative coins.  Does the rest talk about the gol and silver issues of every country in the EU?

I am looking information from the later, gold and silver euro releases (what is often call the collectors' coins).

Thanks,
Miguel

[a3v1]

Hi Miguel,

I just checked and the document is not corrupted. But you are right: It is just about the euro circulation coins (including the 2 euro commemoratives). That is: The coins being legal tender in each and every country of the eurozone.
To me, the gold and silver coins are less interesting. Most are manufactured only to please collectors and are issued at prices having nothing to do with their face values. Only some silver coins are issued at face value, so they (theoretically) can circulate, but in the issuing country only. So in fact these are no European coins at all, but national coins only.
There is a good catalog however (in German, alas) to be had at a reasonable price. It has nearly 600 pages and it lists all euro coins and euro coinsets. Its title is: Euro Münzkatalog, by Gerhard Schön. Another euro catalog (though somewhat more expensive) is: Die €uro-Münzen, by Kurt Fischer and Helmut Kahnt. Both catalogs can be ordered online from the publisher at www.battenberg.de
Regards,
a3v1
 

[Miguel.mateo]

Thank you very much fro the info, german catalogs will be then 

Thanks,
Miguel

[Figleaf]

Links to the two books:

http://www.gietl-verlag.de/index.php?seite=buchdetail&buchnr=100&cat_id=1&ver_id=
http://www.gietl-verlag.de/index.php?seite=buchdetail&buchnr=37&cat_id=1&ver_id=

Mind the shipping cost!

Peter

[chrisild]

Both catalogs are pretty good - comprehensive, and the information about mintages etc. is pretty accurate as far as I can tell. (Coin prices/values in such catalogs should be taken with some care anyway.) You can get a first impression by clicking the "Inhaltsverzeichnis" and/or "Leseprobe" links at the bottom of the description. For either catalog, the first is the table of contents plus a few introductory pages, the second is a couple of sample pages.

One difference is, the Schön (Euro Münzkatalog) has grayscale images while the Fischer/Kahnt (Die Euro-Münzen) has color images. Both books cover the official and semi-official coin sets too. In terms of extras, the Schön catalog has some information about the history of the currency union; the other catalog depicts and explains the notes. Then again, the Schön has about 600 pages and costs €9.90 while the Fischer/Kahnt has almost 1000 pages and is €16.80 ...

Christian