Themes for several 2019 circulating commemorative €2 coins have been announced, with three examples celebrating artists and regional culture.

Belgium is scheduled to release a coin to mark the 450th anniversary of the death of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, a renowned Belgian painter. Italy will honor the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci with one of its €2 coins, and Spain has plans for a coin honoring one of its UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites — the old town of Avila.

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The commemorative designs appear on the obverse of each coin, surrounded by a ring of 12 stars representing the original 12 member nations of the EU. The center of each coin features the special design.

Belgium’s coin carries the portrait of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, together with a painting on an easel. Above this is the name P. Bruegel, and the years 1569, with a subtle obelisk referring to the year of death, and 2019, the year of issuance.

In total, 155,000 coins are due for release in January. 

Italy’s coin shows a detail of the painting Dama con l’ermellino, or Lady with an Ermine, by Leonardo da Vinci (now in the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow). 

On the left, the inscription LEONARDO, the initials MAC of the designer Maria Angela Cassol, and the logo RI, acronym of the Italian Republic; on the right, the R Mint mark of the Mint of Rome and the dates 1519–2019, respectively the year of Leonardo’s death and the 2019 year. 

In total 3 million coins are due for release in January. 

Spain’s coin for the old town of Avila and its churches outside the walls reflects the preserved state of the medieval city, which is surrounded by the most complete walls of Spain.

One million coins are due for release in the first quarter of 2019.

Each €2 ringed-bimetallic coin has a copper-nickel core and copper-aluminum-nickel ring. The €2 coins weighs 8.5 grams and measure 25.75 millimeters in diameter.

Their common reverse shows a map of the European Union.

Each nation has the option to issue two different circulating commemorative designs annually, with designs of their choosing.  

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