1,275th Birthday of Charlemagne

A combination of two contemporary visual elements — the imperial monogram and the octagon of Aachen Cathedral. Above the design: the occasion 'KARL DER GROßE'; below: the dates '748 – 814'. At the lower left, the year '2023'; to the right, the country code 'D' together with the mint mark of the relevant mint ('A', 'D', 'F', 'G' or 'J'). The designer's initials 'TW' appear to the right of the central motif.

Charlemagne ranks among the most influential rulers of early medieval Europe. As King of the Franks, reigning from 768, and following his coronation as emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome in the year 800, he united large parts of Western Europe under a rule that served for centuries as a reference point for the idea of a unified Occident. Under his reign, far-reaching administrative reforms, a unified monetary system, and increased support for education and the Church emerged — an era historians call the Carolingian Renaissance. His court in Aachen became the intellectual center of the empire; the cathedral construction begun there, whose octagon survives to this day, is regarded as one of the most significant buildings of Carolingian architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978.

In 2023, Germany honored, on the occasion of Charlemagne's 1,275th birthday, a ruler inseparably linked to this day with Aachen, the oldest coronation city of the Holy Roman Empire, with a 2-euro commemorative coin. The fact that his birth year of 748 can only be approximately established — the sources from the 8th century do not allow for exact dating — does not diminish the historical significance of this anniversary. Charlemagne died on 28 January 814 in Aachen, where he was also buried. His reign laid foundations for the later European order of states; it is no coincidence that the Charlemagne Prize, awarded in Aachen since 1950, bears his name as a symbol of outstanding contributions to European unification.