2 euro Finland 2010, 150th Anniversary of the Finnish Currency

2 Euro Commemorative Coins Finland 150th Anniversary of the Finnish Currency





Finnish commemorative 2 euro coins 2010, Currency Decree of 1860 granting Finland the right to issue banknotes and coins.


Commemorative 2 euro coins from Finland

Description: The design consists on the left side of a stylised lion figure from the coat of arms of Finland and the year mark, and on the right side of the mint mark and a set of numbers symbolising coin values. At the bottom the issuing country is indicated by the inscription FI. 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: 1.6 million coins
Date of issue: October 2010
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
Design: Reijo Paavilainen is credited with the design of the Finnish 2010 €2 Euro Commemorative coin.
Designer / Engraver Inscriptions: Initial of the sculptor: 'P'
€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 Marks: Mintmark of the Mint of Finland: the mint's current logo: a Finnish heraldic lion on a circular field. Located on the right side, inner circle, between the 2 and 3 o'clock stars.
National Identification: Abbreviation: 'FI'; Finland.
Notes: This coin's main design theme is the same as the new mintmark being used on Finnish circulation coin.
This is the only Euro circulation coin to depict the same image twice- the main design theme, which represents the Finnish mint logo, is the same as the mintmark.


In March 23, 1860 (old style), Emperor Alexander II issued a decree which gave Finland a monetary unit of its own, the Finnish markka. Before that, the Bank of Finland had issued banknotes denominated in rubles and kopecks. In June 1860 the first markka banknotes were circulated.

The Finnish markka (Finnish: Suomen markka, abbreviated mk, Swedish: finsk mark, currency code: FIM) was the currency of Finland from 1860 until 28 February 2002, when it ceased to be legal tender. The markka was introduced in 1860 by the Bank of Finland, replacing the Russian ruble at a rate of four markka equal to one ruble. In 1865 the markka was separated from the Russian ruble and tied to the value of silver. After Finland gained independence in 1917 the currency was backed by gold. The gold standard was abolished in 1940, and the markka suffered heavy inflation during the war years. In 1963 the markka was replaced by the new markka, equivalent to 100 old units. The markka was replaced by the euro (€), which had been introduced, in cash form, on 1 January 2002, after a transitional period of three years when the euro was the official currency but only existed as 'book money'. The dual circulation period – when both the Finnish markka and the euro had legal tender status – ended on 28 February 2002.

The markka was divided into 100 pennies (Finnish: penni, with numbers penniä,
Swedish: penni), postfixed "p"). At the point of conversion, the rate was fixed at €1 = 5.94573 mk.