Safekipedia10 euro cent coin
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
The 10 euro cent coin (€0.10) is worth one-tenth of a euro. It is made from a special material called Nordic gold, which is a type of alloy.
This coin, like all euro coins, has two sides: one side that looks the same in every country that uses the euro, and another side that is different depending on which country made the coin.
People have been using the 10 euro cent coin since 2002, and the design on the side that everyone shares was updated in 2007.
History
The 10 euro cent coin started being used in 2002 when euro coins and banknotes were first introduced. An artist from Belgium named Luc Luycx designed the coin after winning a competition.
In 2007, the coin's design changed to show a new map of Europe. This happened when new countries joined the eurozone, like Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Croatia. Andorra also started making its own designs in 2014.
Design
The 10 euro cent coins are made from a special material called Nordic gold. They are 19.75 mm wide, 1.93 mm thick, and weigh 4.10 grams. These coins have special edges with regular cuts. People have been using them since 2002, even though some coins carry the date 1999.
Reverse (common) side
Since 2007, the back side of the coin was designed by Luc Luycx. It shows a flat map of Europe on the left side. The map does not include Iceland and ends at a line from the Kandalaksha Gulf to the Bosphorus. The sea around the map is shown as an indented space. Six thin lines cross the sea and end in twelve stars, matching the flag of Europe. On the right side, the words “10 Euro Cent” are written, with the number 10 being large. The designer’s initials, LL, are next to the zero in 10.
Luc Luycx also designed the first version of the coin, which looked quite similar but showed only the 15 original euro countries with spaces between them and a raised sea.
Starting in 2025, some countries will change their coins slightly, making the number 1 smaller and rounding it, and adjusting the lines around the coin.
Obverse (national) sides
The front side of the coin changes depending on the country that makes it. Every coin must show the country’s name or a short form of it. All coins also must have a circle of 12 stars around their design, including the year and the country’s name. Usually, the coin does not repeat the value, like “10 euro cent,” unless the country’s alphabet is not Latin. Right now, Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria are the only ones that do this. Greece writes “10 ΛΕΠΤΑ” (10 lepta) and Bulgaria writes “СТОТИНКИ” (stotinki). Austria writes “10 EURO CENT” and will need to change its design to follow the rule.
Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands, and Spain made coins dated 1999, 2000, and 2001, but these coins started being used in 2002. Monaco also made coins dated 2001, and they began being used in 2002 too.
Potential designs
See also: Enlargement of the eurozone
Austria, Germany, and Greece will need to update their coin designs later to follow the rules. These rules say the coins must show the country’s name or its short form and not repeat the value like “10 euro cent.” Austria is the only one that needs to change right now. Slovenia and Greece also need to follow the rule about the 12 stars.
Additionally, some European Union countries have not yet started using the euro. A few have decided what their coins will look like, but we don’t know exactly when they will start using the euro. To learn more about when these countries might join, see enlargement of the eurozone.
| State | Details | Years of minting (years shown) |
|---|---|---|
 Andorran euro coins | The Church of Santa Coloma d'Andorra. It features the word "Andorra" and the year of minting written vertically on the right-hand side. | 2014 onwards |
 Austrian euro coins | St. Stephen's Cathedral, the epitome of Viennese gothic architecture dating to 1160. The denomination appear at the top, followed by a hatched Austrian flag and the date appearing to the right curving with the inner circle. | 2002 onwards |
 Belgian euro coins | FIRST SERIES: An effigy of King Albert II. To the right hand side among the stars was the kings monogram, a letter "A", underneath a crown. The year is lower down, also among the stars. | 1999–2007 |
| SECOND SERIES: A redesign to include the letters BE (standing for Belgium) beneath the monogram, which was moved out of the stars into the centre circle but still to the right of the King's renewed portrait. The date was also moved out and placed beneath the effigy and included two symbols either side (left: signature mark of the master of the mint, right: mint mark). This portrait did not comply with previous decisions by the ECOFIN in 2005 and 2008. Therefore, an amendment was made in 2009, which reverted to the portrait of Albert II found in the first series. Mint marks, year and stars remained the same. | 2008–2013 | |
| THIRD SERIES: In 2013, Albert II abdicated with Philippe of Belgium becoming King. He subsequently replaced Albert on Belgian coins. | 2014 onwards | |
 Bulgarian euro coins | A relief image of the Madara Horseman. The design also includes the year of issuance, the inscription “БЪЛГАРИЯ” (the country’s name in Bulgarian) and the word “СТОТИНКИ” (“CENT”) in Cyrillic script. | 2026 onwards |
 Croatian euro coins | Silhouette portrait of Nikola Tesla encircled by magnetic field lines and a checkerboard in the background. | 2023 onwards |
 Cypriot euro coins | A Kyrenia ship, a 4th-century BCE trading vessel symbolising the seafaring and trading history of Cyprus. It includes, in a semicircle to the top right, the name of Cyprus in Greek and Turkish (ΚΥΠΡΟΣ and KIBRIS) each side of the date. | 2008 onwards |
 Estonian euro coins | A geographical image of Estonia and the word “Eesti” (“Estonia”). | 2011 onwards |
 Finnish euro coins | The heraldic lion of Finland found on the Coat of arms of Finland. It is a reproduction of a design by the sculptor Heikki Häiväoja and has been used by previous Finnish coins such as the 1 markka between 1964 and 2001. The first series included the initial of the mint master of the Mint of Finland, Raimo Makkonen (an M), on the bottom left side of the lion and the date to the left. In 2007, the initial was replaced by the mint's mint mark and the letters FI (for Finland) were included on the right hand side of the horizon. Finland again amended the design of its coins in the 2008 issue, repositioning the mint mark and putting it on the inside of the coin. | 1999 onwards |
 French euro coins | FIRST SERIES: A sower in a field with a rising sun behind her. The image is taken from the previous one French franc coin designed by Louis Oscar Roty. Oscar Roty's Art Nouveau design reset the global trend, breaking from traditional static portraits to a full body, strident figure sowing the seeds of good fortune. For the euro coins, Jorio added hatching each side representing the French flag with the year to the left and the letters RF (République française) to the right. | 1999–2023 |
| SECOND SERIES: The coin depicts Simone Veil, a Holocaust survivor and the first President of the directly elected European Parliament. The sower also appears, depicted in a smaller size. | 2024 onwards | |
 German euro coins | The Brandenburg Gate as a symbol of the reunification of Germany and Europe. The year and mint mark is shown at the bottom. | 2002 onwards |
 Greek euro coins | A portrait of Rigas Feraios (1757–1798), a writer and revolutionary. Feraios was an eminent figure of Greek Enlightenment and was he first victim of the uprising against the Ottoman Empire. His name in Greek is shown below the portrait and to the right is the denomination in Greek with the year to the left. | 2002 onwards |
 Irish euro coins | The national emblem of Ireland, an Irish harp (the Cláirseach, see Clàrsach). Vertically on the left hand side is the word "Éire" (Ireland in the Irish language) and on the right hand side is the date. The harp motif was designed by Jarlath Hayes. | 2002 onwards |
 Italian euro coins | A depiction of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. Botticelli was a Florentine artist in the Early Renaissance, characterised as a golden age. His Venus is one of the most famous paintings in the world and considered a triumph of Italian art. It includes the interconnected letters IR (Repubblica Italiana) and the year is shown to the left with the mint mark below between the stars. | 2002 onwards |
 Latvian euro coins | The coat of arms of the Republic of Latvia above the word LATVIJA (Latvia). | 2014 onwards |
 Lithuanian euro coins | The Vytis (symbol of the coat-of-arms) and the word Lietuva, which means Lithuania. The twelve stars, symbols of the EU, surrounds the Vytis. | 2015 onwards |
 Luxembourgish euro coins | FIRST SERIES: A stylised effigy of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. The name "LËTZEBUERG" (Luxembourg in Luxembourgish) and the year is written round the outer left side of the coin. | 2002–2025 |
| SECOND SERIES: On the right, the effigy of Grand Duke Guillaume looking towards the left. Facing the effigy, a stylised version of the Luxembourg flag is depicted on the left side of the coin. The word "LËTZEBUERG" indicates the issuing country in a semi-circular upward direction to the left of the flag. The year-date appears at the bottom right of the effigy in a diagonal upward reading. | 2026 onwards | |
 Maltese euro coins | The Coat of arms of Malta, which includes the Maltese flag and a mural crown of fortifications symbolising a city state. Shield of the arms is bound by an olive branch and a palm branch as Maltese symbols of peace, tied at their base by a ribbon reading “Repubblika ta’ Malta” (Republic of Malta). The name Malta sits round the upper left inner edge and the year in a similar fashion on the right. | 2008 onwards |
 Monégasque euro coins | FIRST SERIES: The seal of Monaco with the name MONACO was written across the top of the coin's outer circle and the year across the bottom of the outer circle with the mint marks. | 2001–2005 |
| SECOND SERIES: Upon the death of Prince Rainier III in 2005, and the accession of Prince Albert II the seal was replaced with the monogram of Prince Albert II and the name Monaco and the year were brought within the inner circle. | 2006 onwards | |
 Dutch euro coins | FIRST SERIES: A stylised profile of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands surrounded by the twelve stars and other dots, with the inscription “Beatrix Queen of The Netherlands” in Dutch around the edge. The date and mint marks are located at the bottom. | 1999–2013 |
| SECOND SERIES: Following the accession to the throne of King Willem-Alexander, a new series of euro coins was issued depicting the effigy of the new Head of State. | 2014 onwards | |
 Portuguese euro coins | The royal seal of 1142 surrounded by the country's castles and five escutcheona with silver bezants set in relation to the surrounding European stars which is supposed to symbolise dialogue, exchange of values and dynamics in the building of Europe. Between the castles are the numbers of the year towards the bottom and the letters of the name Portugal between the upper icons. The stars are inset on a ridge. | 2002 onwards |
 Sammarinese euro coins | FIRST SERIES: The Basilica of San Marinus a neo-classical constraining relics of Saint Marinus, founder of the state. In a semicircle above the depiction are the words San Marino and the date with the mint marks to the right. | 2002–2016 |
| SECOND SERIES: Church of Saint Francis | 2017 onwards | |
 Slovak euro coins | Bratislava Castle, with the national emblem in the bottom left of the picture. Below the image is the date and curving just above the circling stars is the name SLOVENSKO (Slovakia). | 2009 onwards |
 Slovenian euro coins | An unrealised plan for the Slovenian Parliament building by Jože Plečnik, a leading Slovene architect. In a semicircle above that are two lines of text, the outer one reading SLOVENIJA (Slovenia) between the twelve stars and the inner one reading "Katedrala Svobode", "Cathedral of Freedom" (the name of the building) in Slovene. | 2007 onwards |
 Spanish euro coins | FIRST SERIES: An effigy of Miguel de Cervantes, the father of Spanish literature. His name and a quill is shown to the left, the name España (Spain) above it and the mint mark below. The date is shown at the bottom of the coin. The top right four stars are indented on a raised area, inverting the effect of the rest of the coin. | 1999–2009 |
| SECOND SERIES: In 2010 the raised area around the stars was removed. | 2010 onwards | |
 Vatican euro coins | FIRST SERIES: An effigy of Pope John Paul II. The name CITTA DEL VATICANO (Vatican City), followed by the year and mint mark, was written in a break between the stars below. | 2002–2005 |
| SECOND SERIES: Following the death of John Paul II in 2005, a new coin was issued during the Sede vacante until a new Pope was chosen. This contained the insignia of the Apostolic Chamber and the coat of arms of the Cardinal Chamberlain. | 2005 | |
| THIRD SERIES: When Pope Benedict XVI was elected, his effigy appeared on the coins, with the name of the city now broken to his top right with the year and mint mark in the middle to his right. | 2006–2013 | |
| FOURTH SERIES: In 2014 the coins were updated with the election of Pope Francis. CITTA DEL VATICANO is written around the top, broken by Pope Francis's head, with the date below the O in Vaticano. | 2014–2016 | |
| FIFTH SERIES: After the announcement that Pope Francis would not appear on any coins issued by the Vatican, a new series of euro coins were issued to depict the papal coat of arms of Francis. | 2017–2025 | |
| SIXTH SERIES: Following the election of Pope Leo XIV, new coins with his effigy are expected. | 2026 onwards |
Nicknames
In the Netherlands, people call the 10 euro cent coin dubbeltje. This name comes from an old currency used before the euro.
Images
Related articles
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