The value sides of euro coins are identical throughout Europe. The national sides, by contrast, may be designed by each country using motifs reflecting its own culture and traditions — unlike euro banknotes, which share a uniform design across the continent. On 16 June 1997, the design competition for the euro value sides finally reached its conclusion in Amsterdam, with the heads of government of the 15 EU member states serving as the jury. From 36 entries, Belgian designer Luc Luycx succeeded in convincing the jury with his submission.
Many countries drew on the designs of their old national currencies for their euro coin motifs, in the hope that familiar imagery would help citizens accept the new coins more readily. The national sides must, however, incorporate the following elements:
Mint mark
Year of issue
The twelve stars of Europe
Together with the decision on the value-side design, the technical specifications were approved by the European Council on 16 June 1997. These had been developed by a working group of mint directors from EU member states in 1996/97, acting on a mandate from the finance ministers of the European Union.