Rhineland-Palatinate

The Porta Nigra in Trier — probably the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps. Along the lower inner edge: the name of the federal state 'RHEINLAND-PFALZ' and the country code 'D'. To the left: the mint mark ('A', 'D', 'F', 'G' or 'J'); above the image: the year '2017'. To the right: the artist's initials 'CH' (Frantisek Chochola).

The Porta Nigra in Trier is one of the most completely preserved Roman city gates north of the Alps. The massive sandstone gate, built around 180 AD, was part of the city's fortifications at the time and testifies to the strategic and administrative importance Augusta Treverorum — today's Trier — held within the Roman Empire. As an imperial residence in late antiquity, Trier was at times the de facto center of power of the Western Roman Empire. Besides the Porta Nigra, the city holds other significant relics of this era: the Imperial Baths, the amphitheater, and the Basilica of Constantine. UNESCO has recognized these monuments together as a World Heritage site. Trier is also considered Germany's oldest city, giving the state of Rhineland-Palatinate a historical distinction found nowhere else in Germany in such density.

Rhineland-Palatinate itself was formed in 1946 as a young federal state from parts of the former Prussian Rhine Province, the Bavarian Palatinate, and areas of the former People's State of Hesse. Its territory encompasses historically diverse landscapes — the Middle Rhine with its castles and vineyards, the Hunsrück, the Eifel, and the Palatinate — each bringing its own cultural and economic character. The region is one of Germany's most important wine-growing areas; growing regions such as the Moselle, Rheinhessen, and the Palatinate stand internationally for quality wines. In 2017, Germany honored the state of Rhineland-Palatinate as part of the German Federal States series with a 2-euro commemorative coin, choosing the Porta Nigra as a motif that immediately illustrates the particular depth of the region's history.