France: 2008 european council presidency €2 commemorative coin

Last update 01/08/2022 (coin values) – France had issued in 2007 a €2 commemorative coin dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. However, this coin was part of a multinational issue and was not strictly speaking the first national €2 commemorative coin for France.

However, it did not take long for such a program to see the light of day. Elected in 2007, Nicolas SARKOSY wished to strike the spirits with the French presidency of the Council of the European Union which was to begin in July 2008.

So, he entrusted the project of a €2 commemorative coin dedicated to this event to the french designer Philippe STARCK.

On the obverse, in the internal part of the coin, the design is constituted by the inscription “2008 PRÉSIDENCE FRANÇAISE UNION EUROPÉENNE – RF” (2008 French Presidency European Union – FR for French Republic”.

The mintmark and the  workshop engraver in chief mark are located at the bottom, respectively on the left and on the right.

Why is this coin important to numismatists?

This coin is important for numismatists, especially French ones, because it is the first French national commemorative coin (i.e. specific to France) since the end of the moratorium on the issuance of €2 commemorative coins in Europe, in 2004.

It thus represents an event in the very young numismatics of the euro.

At first a little shunned by collectors because they found its graphics a little too pure (no drawing, just a calligraphic illustration), it has however found its place in the euro collections of numismats.

Coin specifications

Material: copper nickel – bimetalic blank

Edge: 2 ★★

Issuing coutry:  French Republic (FR)

Designers: Philippe STARCK (obverse) and Luc LUYCKS (Reverse)

Subject of the commemoration: French Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2008

Mintage: 20 millions coins (UNC) – 10 000 proof coins – 10 936 BU coins

Issuing Date: July 2008

NB: The figures of the €2 Proof and BU coins correspond to the number of coins actually produced (official figures of the MDP – french mint) and not to the maximum authorized mintage.

Market prices:

BU set:  €40

Proof set: €47

 25 coins roll: €100 to €120 per roll

UNC coin: €4 to €6

NB: Monnaie de Paris rolls are identifiable in two ways. First, the mention “Monnaie de Paris” must appear on the roll and second, the code for rolls packaged by MDP must also appear on the roll. This code is “FR01”.

This coin has not been included in the annual proof and BU coin sets.

The first official colorized €2 commemorative coin

in Europe

This coin issue allowed the Monnaie de Paris to produce a coincard containing the first officially colored french commemorative €2 coin.

This coincard is however a private edition of the Monnaie de Paris, intended for the staff of the european institutions.

What is a special edition of La Monnaie de Paris?

La Monnaie de Paris often produces medals for customers for special occasions: commemoration, anniversary, celebration of a personality or an institution, etc… These medals are ordered and produced for the exclusive needs of a customer and are not included in the general catalog of La Monnaie de Paris. The latter does not ensure the commercial distribution of these medals, contrary to all the medals that appear in its catalog.

NB: We speak about medal insofar as the colored coins are not de facto coins actually intended for the monetary circulation.

5,000 coincards were distributed to EU staff.

The coin is entirely colored in yellow.

This coin is normally priced between €450 and €500. However, the last sale price (fixed price sale) on the internet, for this coin, was €780 (and the coin was sold at this price)!

Sources: Monnaie de Paris (french mint) and NUMISMAG.