Portugal has released designs for both of its circulating commemorative €2 coins for 2018.

One of the coins marks the 250th anniversary of the Ajuda Botanical Garden, and the other the 250th anniversary of the nation’s official printing works.

The botanical garden coin design, contained within the ringed-bimetallic coin’s inner disk, shows a very old dracaena tree that grows at the Ajuda premises and is a symbol of the garden. 

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The Ajuda Botanical Garden is a Technological Support Unit of the Agronomy University. It plays the role of an infrastructure for education and research but is also open to the public. It was the first botanical garden in Portugal projected to preserve, study and collect the most numerous possible species from the plant world. 

At the top of the design, from left to right, in semi-circle, is the inscription 250 ANOS JARDIM BOTNICO DA AJUDA. At the bottom, from left to right, in semi-circle, is the inscription PORTUGAL 2018. Directly beneath the tree’s image are the name of the artist, J. FAZENDA, and the Mint mark, INCM.

The printing works coin design displays the inscription 1768-2018 / IMPRENSA / NACIONAL / DUZENTOS E / CINQUENTA / 250~ANOS / PORTUGAL / MMXVIII as if the letters and numbers were printed from lines of type. At the bottom of the ringed-bimetallic coin’s inner ring is the name of the artist EDUARDO AIRES at the left side and the Mint mark INCM at the right side. 

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The Official Printing Works are responsible for the publication of the Portuguese Official Journal containing all the legislative activity of the country, books of the highest cultural relevance, and other cultural records.

In total, 520,000 examples of each coin are scheduled to be issued sometime during the second half of 2018.

Proof versions will be available for a premium from the Imprensa Nacional Casa de Moeda, the Portuguese State Mint. Details will be posted at the Mint website when they become available.