2 Euro Commemorative Belgium 2018

50th anniversary of May 1968 events in Belgium

The Obverse, in the centre of the coin, depicts two students holding a flag and a pamphlet (of a polemical nature), while in the background, the façade of an auditorium is reproduced: the design is intended to represent the student demonstrations that took place in Belgium in May 1968. At the top, above the image, is the inscription 'mei mai - 1968'. To the left, in the space between the design and the border, the following are stamped from top to bottom: the symbol of the director of the Belgian mint (corresponding to the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele), the mint mark of the Utrecht mint, the minting year, the initials 'BE' (identifying Belgium) and, finally, the initials of the author 'LL'. On the outer part are the 12 five-pointed stars, symbol of the European Union. The coin's Reverse is the new common side of Euro coins, with the face value '2' on the left and the European continent on the right, overlapped by the inscription 'EURO'. Six vertical lines with a star at each end are placed behind the Europe's image.
Edge: finely milled, with six '2' in incuse (repeated alternately from bottom to top and vice versa) and twelve five-pointed stars.
Diameter: 25,75 mm
Thickness: 2,20 mm
Weight: 8,5 g
Composition: bimetallic coin (outer part: copper-nickel, inner part: nickel-brass).

50 years since the launch of European satellite ESRO 2B

The Obverse depicts, on the left, the ESRO satellite as it rotates around the Earth, positioned on the right. ESRO-2B was the first artificial satellite of the European Union, also known by the acronym IRIS (International Radiation Investigation Satellite), an inscription that can be seen immediately below the drawing of the satellite itself. At the top, on the left, is the circular inscription 'ESRO-2B', while in the space between the drawing and the inscription are the years '1968' and '2018', written one below the other. At the bottom is the initials 'BE' (identifying Belgium) with, on the left, the symbol of the Belgian Mint Director (corresponding to the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele) and, on the right, the sign of the Utrecht Mint. Finally, also at the bottom but close to the image of the Earth, the author's initials 'LL' can be seen. On the outer part are the 12 five-pointed stars, symbol of the European Union. The coin's Reverse is the new common side of Euro coins, with the face value '2' on the left and the European continent on the right, overlapped by the inscription 'EURO'. Six vertical lines with a star at each end are placed behind the Europe's image.
Edge: finely milled, with six '2' in incuse (repeated alternately from bottom to top and vice versa) and twelve five-pointed stars.
Diameter: 25,75 mm
Thickness: 2,20 mm
Weight: 8,5 g
Composition: bimetallic coin (outer part: copper-nickel, inner part: nickel-brass).