When are the euro countries allowed to introduce new circulating coins?

[eurocoin]

Below you can find an overview with the dates on which the euro countries are allowed to introduce a new series of standard circulating coins.

Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Spain and Vatican City are also allowed to change the national sides of their circulating coins if their head of state changes. In such case Spain is only allowed to change their 1 and 2 euro coins.

Country	Year
Andorra	2029
Austria	2017
Belgium	2029
Cyprus	2023
Estonia	2026
Finland	2017
France	2017
Germany	2017
Greece	2017
Ireland	2017
Italy	2017
Latvia	2029
Lithuania	2030
Luxembourg	2017
Malta	2023
Monaco	2021
Netherlands	2029
Portugal	2017
San Marino	2017
Slovakia	2024
Slovenia	2022
Spain	2017 + 2030*
Vatican City	2032

* As Spain introduced new 1 and 2 euro coins due to the abdication in 2014, they are only allowed to introduce new 1 cent-50 cent coins from 2017.

[chrisild]

Nice helpful list, thanks! I guess that countries that make coins primarily for collectors (even their circulation coins ...) will use the opportunity to change or adapt their designs. As for the others, we'll see. Germany may well wait 46 years.

Christian

[Figleaf]

In general, the more important the currency is, the less the coins and banknotes tend to be changed.

Peter

[Pabitra]

Germany may well wait 46 years.

Could not get the significance of this.
Kindly explain.

[eurocoin]

Could not get the significance of this.
Kindly explain.

Germany had the same design on their series of circulating D-Mark coins for half a century, that is what  he is referring to.

I guess that countries that make coins primarily for collectors (even their circulation coins ...) will use the opportunity to change or adapt their designs. As for the others, we'll see.

Yes and Luxembourg may use it to change the appearance of Grand Duke Henri.

[chrisild]

Germany had the same design on their series of circulating D-Mark coins for half a century, that is what  he is referring to.

Right, and Germany is one of the countries that issued (and still issues) euro coins that do not meet the current conditions. EU law requires a country name or code to be present - no "DE" on Deutschland's pieces. (Well, they seem to prefer the "D" that you also see on German license plates, even though that could be mistaken as Munich's mint mark. Guess we're still very auto-centric here. )

Austria is in the same camp: Not sure whether the flag on its circulation coins would count as a country identifier, but repeating the face value on the country specific side is a no-no. The only exception is made for non-Latin scripts, so "1 ΕΥΡΩ" (GR) is fine while "1 EURO" (AT) is not. Both Austria and Germany will have to modify their country specific sides accordingly within the next 46 years. The deadline is 20 June 2062 - may look a little silly, but is based on the estimated lifetime of the coins.

And as you wrote, Niels, the Deutsche Mark coins (except for the 2 and 5 DM pieces) had the same designs for 50 years. So why change?

Christian

[eurocoin]

Even although it is likely that only few countries will use this opportunity, I have asked the treasuries of the countries that are allowed to change the national sides of their coins next year whether they also will introduce new coins in 2017. As soon as I have all replies I will add them to this message.

Austria: No
Finland: No
France: At present no, final decision yet to be taken.
Germany: No
Greece:
Ireland: No
Italy:
Luxembourg: No
Portugal: No
San Marino: Yes
Spain:

The Ministry of Finance of Finland informed me that the introduction of new national sides for its eurocoins has recently been discussed but that they at present have no plans to change their coins.

I have also been informed by the Central Bank of Luxembourg that for now they are not going to use this new possibility to change the appearance of Grand Duke Henri on the coins.

[eurocoin]

The European Commission has published information on its website concerning the national sides of the euro coins. Tragic that it is a completely wrong interpretation of Article 7 of Council Regulation 729/2014.

"Member States are not allowed to change the design of their national sides, except in the case of coins which show the head of state. In that case the coin design may be changed when the head of state changes, or at 15-year intervals to reflect changes in his or her appearance. A temporary vacancy or provisional occupation of the function of head of state does not give the right to change the design of the national sides of regular euro coins, but can be reflected in a commemorative coin."

Versus

"1.   Changes to the designs used for the national sides of regular coins may only be made once every 15 years, without prejudice to changes necessary to prevent counterfeiting of the currency.

2.   Without prejudice to paragraph 1, changes to the designs used for the national sides of regular coins may be made where the Head of State referred to on a coin changes. However, a temporary vacancy or the provisional occupation of the function of the Head of State shall not give any additional right to such a change."

[chrisild]

Then again we recently learned from the Vatican that even the regulation can be safely ignored if a head of state "requests" a modification way ahead of time.

Christian

[eurocoin]

Then again we recently learned from the Vatican that even the regulation can be safely ignored if a head of state "requests" a modification way ahead of time.

Christian

Even more tragic indeed. They make regulations and then fail to follow them. I have never had the impression that Irina and Rüdiger really know what they are doing.

[Figleaf]

Civil servants rarely make policy decisions on their own. They have to deal with a hierarchy, that has other priorities or may consider a "quid pro quo" elsewhere.

Peter

[eurocoin]

Monaco is as of this year allowed to release a new series of standard circulating coins. San Marino, which was allowed to do so as of 2017, immediately used the opportunity. Vatican City in recent years changed its designs even without being allowed to do so. It will be interesting to see if Monaco will (immediately) use the opportunity to change its reverse designs.

[redlock]

It will be interesting to see if Monaco will (immediately) use the opportunity to change its reverse designs.

Of course, Monaco will. It's an easy way to generate new revenues. All those ''crazy'' collectors who need to be ''complete'' wil have to get the new coins. 

[Angus]

I am crazy!

[chrisild]

We will not start arguing about that.

Of course there are collectors who say that they need have them all, others exclude the pieces issued by countries that are not European Union member states, others collect by year but only those issues that are actually minted for circulation, and so on. As for Monaco, I basically agree with redlock, but whether the new designs come in 2021 or 2022 ... who knows.

Christian