Commemorative Gold Euro Coins
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The Eurozone mints a yearly set of collectible commemorative gold and silver coins for use either as bullion investments or as collectible items for numismatists. Unlike some nations that mint bullion coins, the Euro collectible gold and silver coins are unique in that the designs change yearly, commemorating one event, person, place, or other happening. All the countries in the Eurozone mint their own type of bullion coins in varying quantities and designs making Eurozone gold and silver coinage perfect not only for investors who seek out only pure coinage, but for numismatists as well due to the nearly unlimited variety and artistry of the coins.[1]
The Eurozone Commemorative Coin ‘practice’ began with the Europa Coin Programme. Started on 2004, the Europa or Eurostar Programme was created by the initiative of the Eurozone with the aim of issuing both bullion and legal tender coins for the collection and investment of interested collectors and bullion investors. The Europa Programme celebrates European culture, history, and identity by minting themed coins made from rare and precious metals, with the themes and designs changing every year. The Eurozone commemorative coin project is of extreme interest not only to numismatists owing to its yearly revamp of currencies, but also to those who wish to invest in precious metals, as the Eurozone commemorative coins only issue coins made from pure gold or silver, with some rare examples of bi-metallic coins containing even rarer and more valuable metals such as palladium, titanium, and niobium.[2]
Due to the fact that the Euro commemorative coins are made from precious metals, their production is usually limited to a specific number rarely exceeding a hundred, and sometimes not even near that amount. Because of their bullion nature, they neither are legal tender, nor are they used for general circulation owing to the fact that their material far outweighs whatever face value they may have. Although some exceptions have been made where precious metals are usually replaced by far more affordable base-metals thus allowing the coins to be used as legal tender for general circulation, these coins are usually of very little interest to bullion investors, and only on rare occasions will bullion investors purchase commemorative coins minted for general use. While the production of gold and silver commemorative coins are usually geared towards an audience of investors, owing to their rarity as coinage as well as their relative value, many minted gold or silver Euro bullion usually get into the hands of collectors even before investors manage to get a hold of them.
Non-bullion commemorative euro coins are accepted as legal tender, although they only work as such in their respective countries. As for bullion coins, while they may possess face values (the highest of which is €100, 000), only very few of them are ever used as general currency with only the silver coinages of smaller face values having been issued as general currency, and only in limited areas of the Eurozone where a silver standard is still accepted or where silver coins have traditionally been in the norms.
Commemorative Gold Euro Coins - References:
[1] http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/cash/commemorative/index_en.htm
[2] http://news.coinupdate.com/austrian-mint-renewable-energy-silver-and-niobium-coin-0187
Content researched and created by Alexander Leonhart for coinandbullionpages.com © coinandbullionpages.com
Note - this site provides general information about gold, silver, coins and bullion. None of the contents of this web site should be seen as financial or investment advice.
