2022 belgian €2 ERASMUS coin – added specifications (issued and unissued coin)

Following the publication of all the designs of the 2022 €2 ERASMUS coin, NUMISMAG interviewed IRIS BRUIJNS, designer of the Royal Mint of Belgium, in order for her to explain her graphic choices for the Belgian project, project not retained as common desig, for the  €2 joined issue. We wish to make you discover the artistic creation of a current engraver of the euro zone. In addition, the MRB (Royal Mint of Belgium) gives us some details at the end of the article on the design and the mintages of the future belgian 2022 €2 commemorative ERASMUS coin.

IRIS BRUIJNS and her €2 ERASMUS project (not issued)

NUMISMAG: IRIS, what is your professional background?

IRIS BRUIJNS: I finished my studies as a graphic designer in 2019 and in the same year I started working at the FPS Finance via a Rosetta contract (the Rosetta plan = federal plan to help young people to find their first job). I was lucky enough to be able to work in the graphic design sector of the Royal Belgian Mint. This was a unique and enriching experience for me. Since April 2021 I work for the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain as an administrative assistant but I hope to have the opportunity to design commemorative coins again in the future.

NUMISMAG: What other projects have you already realized for the Royal Belgian Mint (coins and medals)?

IRIS BRUIJNS: I designed the official Belgian 5 euro silver coin in honor of the European Year of the Railways and the 2.5 euro coin on the theme of the 5th anniversary of the inscription of the Belgian beer culture as intangible cultural heritage. To realize these two themes was a real challenge for me. And I am very happy with the final result. Moreover, these pieces have found a place of honor in my house.

 €2€ 1/2, 2021 beer culture in Belgium, by IRIS BRUIJNS

€5 European Year of the Railway, by IRIS BRUIJNS

NUMISMAG: What is your status? Are you working as a freelancer for the MRB or have you replaced Luc LUYCX (who has left or is about to retire) as an engraver for the MRB?

IRIS BRUIJNS: I was working there as a contract worker under the Rosetta Plan. While I was at the Royal Belgian Mint, I received a good training from Luc Luycx, a man with a lot of experience and a lot of achievements in graphic design. After this training I could start developing my own projects. For the moment, Luc Luycx is still working, he will retire, but the date is not fixed yet.

NUMISMAG: What was your inspiration for the 2€ ERASMUS (Belgian project)? Is there an artistic movement or a work that inspired you in particular?

IRIS BRUIJNS: The theme itself, Erasmus+, was a source of inspiration. First I read the information about this project and the wide documentation to pick up the typical elements. It was a research path to combine the typical elements and to make a whole. From the beginning, I opted for a sober style, not too much detail since it was a project reduced in size (editor’s note: compared to the commemorative coins). I was inspired by the style of the symbols because it is universal. By the coherence of these elements, I was satisfied with the result.

NUMISMAG: Can you explain the graphic composition of the national side of this coin?

IRIS BRUIJNS: The Erasmus+ program gives all participants, such as students, teachers and organizations, the opportunity to have a unique experience. On the one hand, there is the acquisition of knowledge, represented by a book as a sign of education and training. Erasmus + is a European program, but it extends not only in Europe through the countries of the program, but also worldwide through the partner countries. Erasmus + mobility offers exceptional opportunities. In my drawing, I symbolize this with the arrows above the globe, which represent the many ways in which exchanges can take place: physical, educational and cultural exchanges… There are also people on the globe who make the connection to learning, travel, sport and friendship, all of which are covered by the program.

NUMISMAG: Have you worked on other proposals for this piece?

IRIS BRUIJNS: I made a lot of “sketches” in the process. In the end, I ended up with this design and a completely different one. Personally, this design was my favorite, so I was very excited when my design made it to the final selection of 6 out of 75 and even more excited when in the end my design came in 3rd place.

NUMISMAG: Have you participated in other monetary contests for Belgian commemorative 2€ coins? If yes, for which coin(s)? (+ drawings of these coins)

IRIS BRUIJNS: No, for the moment this is the only competition I have participated in.

The artist IRIS BRUIJNS

The editors of NUMISMAG would like to thank IRIS for her time in writing this article.

*************************************************************************************************************

NUMISMAG: May you give us the visual of the official Belgian 2022 €2 ERASMUS coin (design by J JIMENEZ) which has been validated by the European Council?

MRB (Royal Mint of Belgium): This design will be published in the Official Journal and it is the European authorities that will determine the timing of the communication and publication. Nevertheless, the description of the added elements for Belgium are the following: on the Belgian version of the coin, the country code “BE” is represented in the center of the coin. On the background is the mark of the Belgian Mint Commissioner, the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele. As the producing mint is not yet known for 2022, we have not yet put a mintmark on the coin. In addition, the lettering on the edge of the coin will be the same as on the ordinary 2 euro circulation coins issued by Belgium.

NUMISMAG: What will be the mintage (circulation – BU and proof)?

MRB (Royal Mint of Belgium): The overall coins mintage is 1 million coins. Most of these coins (850 000 coins) will circulate, but we also intend to issue a maximum of 150,000 coins, in special condition and put them in a special packaging for collectors and not for circulation (BU coin version). The issue date is set for July 1st, 2022.

Sources: IRIS BRUIJNS – MRB (Monnaie Royal Mint of Belgium) and NUMISMAG.