2 Euro Commemorative coins France 2018

Bleuet de France

The Obverse, in the centre of the coin, depicts the cornflower (bleuet in French), which since the end of the First World War has been considered in France as the flower of memory and solidarity: it was born from the desire to help and assist the amputees of the 1914-1918 war and today continues its work of moral and financial support for veterans and victims of wars and terrorism. The image of the flower is surrounded by the circular inscription 'Le Bleuet de France, fleur de mémoire et de solidarité', while the lower part features: the years '1918 - 2018' written in an arc and surmounted by the mint mark and the symbol of the mint director, and the initials 'RF' (Republique Francaise), with the two letters divided by the design itself. 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).

Simone Veil

The Obverse depicts a portrait of French politician Simone Veil in the foreground, with the European Parliament in the background. Simone Veil was a symbolic figure in the fight for women's rights: a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where she was deported in 1944, in her political career she succeeded in getting the abortion law passed in 1975, as well as being a promoter of European integration; she was awarded numerous honours and awards and passed away in June 2017 at the age of 89. On the left, at the top between the border and the image, is the circular inscription 'SIMONE VEIL' with the years '1927 - 2017' below, also in an arc. Moving downwards, inside the design, we find the initials 'RF' (Republique Francaise) with immediately below it the minting year, then the year '1975' (the year of the Veil law on abortion), and finally the mintmark, the symbol of the director of the mint itself and the initials of the author. In addition, the number with which she was registered in the concentration camp can be seen below the portrait, on the collar. 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).