Euro Designs Confusing?

[chrisild]

I've heard it said that the users of the euro prefer it when there is only one design per country, as in the case of Ireland's harp, because it makes the coins easier to recognise and identify as valid

I find it hard to believe that the Irish find the euro coins so much more complicated than people in most other euro countries. But of course what they put on their coins is basically their business.

As for the animals on Irish coins, it will be interesting to see whether they use "only" Percy Metcalfe's designs for this new series. If not, Thomas Ryan's deer may indeed reappear on a collector coin. Seems that the theme of the annual coin set is used for the €15 piece too - so once we see the red deer on a set sleeve, we know what's going to come.

Christian

[<k>]

I find it hard to believe that the Irish find the euro coins so much more complicated than people in most other euro countries. But of course what they put on their coins is basically their business.

That was your response to my comment:
"I've heard it said that the users of the euro prefer it when there is only one design per country, as in the case of Ireland's harp, because it makes the coins easier to recognise and identify as valid".

What I meant by that was users throughout the Eurozone apparently find coins easier to identify as a valid and recognise when ANY country's euro coins carry only a single national design. Peter mentioned that with regard to his wife and daughter, I believe.

[chrisild]

What I meant by that was users throughout the Eurozone apparently find coins easier to identify as a valid and recognise when ANY country's euro coins carry only a single national design. Peter mentioned that with regard to his wife and daughter, I believe.

Oh, I do not doubt that some people have some difficulty keeping different coins apart. But why do you think do they all have common reverses which clearly indicate the fact that they are euro and cent coins, and show the face value? Will split this topic and move the "euro stuff" ... Done.

Christian

[<k>]

But why do you think do they all have common reverses which clearly indicate the fact that they are euro and cent coins, and show the face value?
Christian

That is natural of course, if you have a single currency or currency union. Probably the only case where it isn't must be the currencies and coinages of Singapore and Brunei, both of which are interchangeable and are managed by a single authority. Now, I wonder but don't know - do the specifications of the corresponding coins of each country match in all cases? Is a 20 cent coin from Singapore identical in all but design (obverse and reverse) to one from Brunei?

[chrisild]

No idea about Brunei - they do not issue euro coins, I think. But the euro coins do "look alike" as far as the common sides are concerned. And it makes sense indeed to do that. The sizes, edges, and other specifications help too, but I like the fact that each of our coins shows the denomination in a way that is the same in the entire euro area. And I equally like the idea of having different designs, on the other side, for the different countries and denominations.

Now you may well say, hmm, where does this 10 cent coin come from, have never seen that before? But you use it as a 10 cent coin because that is what the piece says on the reverse. No need to know all the different obverse designs - but no need for the Belgian/Estonian/Irish uniformity either.

Christian

[<k>]

Now you may well say, hmm, where does this 10 cent coin come from, have never seen that before? But you use it as a 10 cent coin because that is what the piece says on the reverse. No need to know all the different obverse designs - but no need for the Belgian/Estonian/Irish uniformity either.

Christian

The same thing happens in the UK: we use, say, a Gibraltarian pound coin because it has the same dimensions, it has the Queen on the obverse and says one pound on the reverse. The difference is, of course, that that coin is not legal tender in the UK, and indeed the Gibraltarian currency is a separate one; but users are fooled, or reassured, by its similarity, to UK coinage. Presumably the euro users would be similarly fooled if someone decided to mint counterfeit euro coins with a "new" design, though I suspect this will never happen because it would be impractical.

[Ukrainii Pyat]

In that infamous collection of coins I purchased last week I found some obviously Euro coins in there - they do NOT have the country name and I am guessing they are from Finland - only because I have not seen Euro coins from Finland in circulation.  The issuing country should have something identifying where it came from on there - even a chintzy RF like the French coins have.  Some countries like Germany are pretty obvious - but this "Finnish" stuff with just a bird or whatever design?

[chrisild]

Initially some member states used the country name or abbreviation while some did not. A few years ago (June 2005) the "rules" were modified, ie. new designs should have a country indicator. That is why since 2007 new Finnish circulations coins have had the "FI". Belgium has used the "BE" since 2008.

Germany has not modified the circulation coins (as the designs are not new, that is not required) but the commemorative €2 coins had the full country name between 2006 and 2009. The later ones have a country code, but instead of "DE" they picked "D" which almost looks like a mintmark.

Christian

[andyg]

What I meant by that was users throughout the Eurozone apparently find coins easier to identify as a valid and recognise when ANY country's euro coins carry only a single national design. Peter mentioned that with regard to his wife and daughter, I believe.

Yet people in the UK seem to manage alright with a mere 108 different designs?

[Figleaf]

The psychology of recognition of the design is complicated. Indeed, my loving wife and daughter continuously come up with Austrian, Finnish and an occasional Italian coin, claiming they haven't seen it before, but they do recognize and accept it as a euro coin. They have no such trouble with a Belgian head, German Tor or any French or Spanish coin. They immediately recognize the Irish harp, even though they seldom see it. Apparently, familiarity is important, but so is recognizability and uniformity.

Recent research by the Dutch central bank shows that anything with the right shape and colour is accepted as euro, though. Interestingly, my wife unerringly rejected fake French Franc coins when we lived in France (until I told her I wanted them,) but accepts bimetallic Thai and Turkish coins as euro. I think the multiple designs have blunted her ability to spot coins that are somehow "wrong".

Peter

[<k>]

Most Brits, both shoppers and shop assistants, routinely accept coins from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, and St Helena and Ascension, despite none of them being legal tender here. It makes you wonder how closely the average person ever looks at a coin. I'd also like to know just what proportion of Brits actually understands the legends on our UK coins, eg. "D.G. REG F.D.", never mind "pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad" and all the other pound coin edge inscriptions.

[Magus]

Most Brits, both shoppers and shop assistants, routinely accept coins from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, and St Helena and Ascension, despite none of them being legal tender here. It makes you wonder how closely the average person ever looks at a coin. I'd also like to know just what proportion of Brits actually understands the legends on our UK coins, eg. "D.G. REG F.D.", never mind "pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad" and all the other pound coin edge inscriptions.

Here in the States, the same thing frequently happens with Canadian coins. Even in places 600+ miles from the Canadian border they turn up, while not commonly, not rarely either. A lot of people don't notice, because the sizes are all the same (weights are different, though). And those who do notice frequently don't care, because the value is close enough that many people don't consider it worth the time to demand a US quarter instead of a Canadian one. This was true even a decade ago when the US and Canadian dollars weren't so close in value. Some day when I visit Panama, I'm going to have to bring back a bunch of quarter-balboa coins and see how many people notice when I pay with them. Unlike Canadian coins, I'm told they'll even be accepted by modern American vending machines.

[chrisild]

From a Belgian (Dutch, German, etc.) point of view, the bimetallic €1 and €2 coins were somewhat confusing initially. Some euro countries had not had "bi-mets" before, so a few people considered anything golden-and-silverish that had roughly the right size to be a euro coin of some sort. Well, nowaydays they will know that the euro is not the only - and was not the first - currency using bimetallic coins ...

Christian

[Coinsforever]

The psychology of recognition of the design is complicated. Indeed, my loving wife and daughter continuously come up with Austrian, Finnish and an occasional Italian coin, claiming they haven't seen it before, but they do recognize and accept it as a euro coin. They have no such trouble with a Belgian head, German Tor or any French or Spanish coin. They immediately recognize the Irish harp, even though they seldom see it. Apparently, familiarity is important, but so is recognizability and uniformity.

Recent research by the Dutch central bank shows that anything with the right shape and colour is accepted as euro, though. Interestingly, my wife unerringly rejected fake French Franc coins when we lived in France (until I told her I wanted them,) but accepts bimetallic Thai and Turkish coins as euro. I think the multiple designs have blunted her ability to spot coins that are somehow "wrong".

Peter

For users these coins may be complicated a little bit , but for collectors definitely a large variety of  designs ,mint marks,engravers marks , privy marks on these coins are challenging & fun .

Cheers

[Figleaf]

Right, Ajay, but I would still prefer that coins were made for users, not collectors. I think the problem is that there is overcapacity in European mints and they are all fighting to survive, so they'll produce anything the market will bear. I would prefer to see all euros produced in South Korea. I am sure they can do a good job and do it cheaper, even if we include transportation. It would liberate us from the need for gold 37.5 euro coins on 4000 years of nose picking and its silver companion on 400 years of belly button fluff.

Peter