Mint of Finland releases a €2 special coin on October 29.

Mint of Finland will mint the 2010 special euro coin in commemoration of 150 years of Finnish currency. The €2 special coin will be the first circulation coin with the Mint of Finland's new lion emblem. The national obverse side of the special euro coin, designed by Reijo Paavilainen, has common features with the Finnish Currency 150 Years commemorative coin.

The Eurozone member states are permitted to release one special €2 coin every year. The national side of the coin differentiates the special coin from other coins released each year.

Watch your wallet!

An observant person will be able to find the Mint of Finland emblem on every circulation coin minted by Mint of Finland. The 2010 €2 special coin will be the first euro coin to have the Mint of Finland's new lion emblem. The previous emblem, the Horn of Plenty, will be replaced with the Finnish lion emblem.

The national obverse side of the 2010 €2 special coin will now feature the stylised Finnish lion emblem. The special euro coin has been designed by Reijo Paavilainen and the national side has similar characteristics to the 150 years of Finnish currency commemorative coin.

The reverse side of the special coin is the same as that of ordinary circulation coins. The special euro coins are legal tender in all countries using the euro.

Finnish currency 150 years

In December 1859, the Senate petitioned the Tsar for permission for Finland to start using its own currency.

On March 10 1860, the Senate passed a resolution to adopt the finmark as the Finnish currency. Divided into 100 pennies, the finmark was worth a quarter of a rouble. Tsar Alexander II approved the proposal and the new currency was adopted on April 4, 1860.

Download low-res image of the €2 special coin from here.

Additional information

Henna Karjalainen
Communications and Marketing Manager
Tel +358 50 575 9197
Email: henna.karjalainen@mint.fi

Mint of Finland is the leading company in its field in Scandinavia and the Baltic region. Mint of Finland owns Mint of Sweden (AB Myntverket) and 50% of Mint of Norway Ltd. (Det Norske Myntverket AS). Its activities include the design, marketing and minting of coins. The company is owned by the Finnish state. It encompasses two business units: Circulation Coins and Collector Items. Mint of Finland produces metal circulation coins, jubilee and special coins, coins sets, medals, badges of honour and jewellery. The group employs some 133 people and exports to nearly 40 countries. The year 2010 marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Mint by the order of Tsar Alexander II. During the jubilee year, Mint of Finland will issue five new collector coins, open an online boutique, and in October, Finns can discover how coins are minted at an exposition at the Finnish Science Centre Heureka. For further details about the jubilee year events, see our website at www.suomenrahapaja.fi