2 euro Finland 2006, 1st Centenary of the Introduction of Universal and Equal Suffrage






Finnish commemorative 2 euro coins, 100 years of universal and equal suffrage in Finland


Commemorative 2 euro coins from Finland

Description: The central part of the coin shows two faces – one male, one female; one upright, one inverted – to commemorate the granting of equal suffrage to women in Finland in 1906, which at the same time became the first country to allow women to also stand for election. Two capital "M"s appear to the left of each face, one of them the mint mark and the other one the artist's initial. On the left side, the date of the introduction of universal and equal suffrage in Finland (1. 10. 1906) is inscribed, while the right side of the coin contains the year mark and the country abbreviation (20 FI 06). The twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring of the coin.



Reverse: left from the coin centre face value: 2, on the right inscription: EURO; in the background of the inscription a map of Europe; in the background of the map vertically six parallel lines ending on both sides with five-pointed stars (the reverse is common for all euro coins)

Issuing volume: 2,500,000 coins
Date of issue:   4 October 2006
Face value:       2 euro
Diameter:         25.75 mm
Thickness:       2.2 mm
Weight:            8.5 gr
Composition: BiAlloy (Nk/Ng), ring Cupronickel (75% copper - 25% nickel clad on nickel core), center Nickel brass (75% copper - 20% zinc - 5% nickel)
Design: Pertti Mäkinen is credited with the design of the Finnish 2006 €2 Euro Commemorative coin.
Designer / Engraver Inscriptions: Initial of the designer: 'M'
€2 Edge Inscription: The Finnish €2 coin edge inscription is 'SUOMI FINLAND', followed by three lion heads:
Mint Location: Rahapaja Oy, in Helsinki-Vantaa, Finland.
Mint Master Marks: Finnish Mint director, Raimo Makkonen: last initial ('M'). Located to the right of the bottom face, just above the 4 o'clock star.
National Identification: Abbreviation: 'FI'; Finland.

100th anniversary of universal and equal suffrage in Finland
The year 2006 is the 100th anniversary of universal and equal suffrage in Finland. Finland was the first European country to grant universal suffrage to its citizens in 1906 and the first country to make every citizen eligible to run for parliament. This meant that also women could vote and run for parliament. In the 1907 elections 19 women were elected to the Finnish parliament. They were the world's first female members of parliament.

On 4 October Finland will be issuing a commemorative two-euro coin to celebrate the 100th anniversary of universal and equal suffrage. The electoral Act of the Grand Duchy of Finland eracting equal suffrage came into force on 1st of October 1906.
The coin is based on the reverse side of the coin celebrating the reform of Parliament. It has been designed by the sculptor Pertti Mäkinen. The reverse side of the coin is the same as the reverse side of the ordinary coin.
Two and a half million of the commemorative coins will be struck. The Bank of Finland will issue one million coins through normal currency supply channels as change and one and a half million through Finnish commercial banks as wholesale deliveries. Private persons will be able to buy the commemorative coin at the nominal price at the Moneta Shop (Unioninkatu 32, Helsinki) between 16 and 31 October 2006 to the maximum of one roll per person i.e. 25 coins per customer.
Euro area countries are allowed to change the design on the national side of the two-euro coin to commemorate significant events or persons. Prior to this, Finland issued the first commemorative coin to celebrate EU enlargement in the summer of 2004 and a second in the autumn of 2005 in honour of the UN's 60th anniversary and Finland's 50th anniversary of membership of it. The commemorative coins are legal tender in all euro area countries.