Euro gold and silver commemorative coins are special euro coinsminted and issued by member states of the Eurozone, mainly in gold and silver, although other precious metals are also used in rare occasions. Slovenia introduced the euro (€) on 1 January 2007. Since then, the Bank of Slovenia have been issuing both normal issues of Slovenian euro coins, which are intended for circulation, and commemorative euro coins in gold and silver.
These special coins have a legal tender only in Slovenia, unlike the normal issues of the Slovenian euro coins, which have a legal tender in every country of the Eurozone. This means that the commemorative coins made of gold and silver cannot be used as money in other countries. Furthermore, as their bullion value[1] generally vastly exceeds their face value, these coins are not intended to be used as means of payment at all—although it remains possible. For this reason, they are usually named Collectors' coins.
The coins usually commemorate the anniversaries of historical events or draw attention to current events of special importance. Slovenia has minted five of these coins in 2008, mainly in both gold and silver, with face value ranging from 3 to 100 euros.
Summary
As of 24 December 2008, 5 variations of Slovenian commemorative coins have been minted, all of them in 2008; while another 5 are scheduled to be minted in 2009. These special high-value commemorative coins are not to be confused with €2 commemorative coins, which are coins designated for circulation and do have legal tender status in all countries of the Eurozone.[2]
The following table shows the number of coins minted per year. In the first section, the coins are grouped by the metal used, while in the second section they are grouped by their face value.
This is the first ever series of collectors' coins issued by Slovenia, specially for this occasion honouring the presidency of the European Union.
In the obverse the coin shows a "dynamic" EU star in the form of a windmill. This star represents Slovenia's initiative, movement, energy, volition, strength and active role during the EU presidency. There is an inscription on the coin, Facta loquuntur ("works speak"), indicating results and success.
On the reverse, 27 dynamic stars, one for each of the 27 EU Member States, can be observed.
250th anniversary of the birth of Valentin Vodnik[12]
Designer: Miljenko and Maja Licul
Mint: Royal Dutch Mint
Value: €100
Alloy: Au 900 (Gold)
Quantity: 5,000
Quality: Proof
Issued: 28 January 2008
Diameter: 24 mm (0.94 in)
Weight: 7 g (0.25 oz; 0.23 ozt)
Issue price: €160, €180
Market value: €650.00
In honour of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Valentin Vodnik, the Republic of Slovenia has issued coins with Valentin Vodnik's profile as the central motif. The bottom portion of the coin is inscribed with the last verse of the poem Moj spomenik ("My Monument"), which in English says "No daughters, no son will follow me, memory is enough: songs sung of me".
2009 coinage
100th Anniversary of the birth of painter Zoran Mušič [15]
Designer: Domen Fras and Maja B. Jančič
Mint: Mint of Finland, Vantaa, Finland
Value: €30
Alloy: Ag 925 (Silver)
Quantity: 8,000
Quality: Proof
Issued: 12 February 2009
Diameter: 32 mm (1.26 in)
Weight: 15 g (0.53 oz; 0.48 ozt)
Issue price: €40
100th Anniversary of the birth of painter Zoran Mušič [15]
Designer: Domen Fras and Maja B. Jančič
Mint: Mint of Finland, Vantaa, Finland
Value: €100
Alloy: Au 900 (Gold)
Quantity: 6,000
Quality: Proof
Issued: 12 February 2009
Diameter: 24 mm (0.94 in)
Weight: 7 g (0.25 oz; 0.23 ozt)
Issue price: €180
100th Anniversary of the first flight by a powered aircraft over Slovenia [16]
^Precious metals in bulk form are known as bullion, and are traded on commodity markets. Bullion metals may be cast into ingots, or minted into coins. The defining attribute of bullion is that it is valued by its mass and purity rather than by a face value as money.
