subject: Euro Collectable Coins [print this page] In 1999, the non-physical Euro was introducedIn 1999, the non-physical Euro was introduced. It set out a new plan in monetary history for the European world. The idea was to have a standardized currency that could be used across borders in all European countries. So far seventeen countries of the twenty-seven in the European Union have switched over to the Euro currency system.
Coin collectors all over the world have jumped on the opportunity to own coin collections from this auspicious moment in history. Since the use of Roman coinage in Europe there has not been such a widespread unity in the type of currency used in this region.
The collection of coins used in the Eurozone are in the following denominations: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 euro, and 2 euro. This is markedly different from the coin collections used in the countries which are not part of the Eurozone.
There are also collectable additions to these coin sets. For example, the two euro coin has been released in several iterations. These include the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the 2004 Olympic Games, and nationally minted distributed euro coins.
These coins, unlike their coin collection counterparts in other countries are nationally tendered and accepted forms of payment. For many coins in the United States and other countries, a specific coin is meant simply for coin collections and is not accepted as legal tender at stores and other places of business.
The euro has come under fire recently and its future is unclear. In early 2010 there was very tenuous ground when Ireland, Portugal, and Greece had major financial crises. There has been talk in recent months of some countries pulling out of the currency and returning to their previous currency methods and coinage. If this happens it is likely that the entirety of the European Union that is also using the euro will follow suit and this great experiment in currency reform will fail. Should this happen coin collections all over the world will begin assembling the full collection of euro coinage and bills. It's unclear if a full collection of all the coins used in this great experiment will be worth a large sum of money but as a piece of history they will be almost priceless. It would behoove the smart coin collectors to sit up and take notice and perhaps begin their collections of euro coinage now.
