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Eurozone (mainly) and other countries | |
| Value | 0.01euro |
|---|---|
| Mass | 2.30 g |
| Diameter | 16.25 mm |
| Thickness | 1.67 mm |
| Edge | Smooth |
| Composition | Copper-covered steel |
| Years of minting | 1999–present |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Numerous variations, see below. |
| Designer | Various |
| Design date | Various |
| Reverse | |
 | |
| Design | Globe with theEU-15 highlighted next to the denomination shown in Latin characters |
| Designer | Luc Luycx |
| Design date | 1999 |
The1 euro cent coin (€0.01) has a value of one hundredth of aeuro and is composed ofcopper-covered steel. It is the lowest-value coin in theEurozone; the next lowest are the2 and5 euro cent coins. Alleuro coins have a common reverse and a country-specific (national) obverse. The coin has been used since 2002 and was not redesigned in 2007 as was the case with the higher-value coins.
The coin dates from 2002, wheneuro coins andbanknotes were introduced in the then 12-membereurozone and itsrelated territories. Despite this, the coins of some countries were issued beginning in 1999. The common side was designed byLuc Luycx, aBelgian artist who won a Europe-wide competition to design the new coins. The design of the 1- to 5-cent coins was intended to show theEuropean Union's (EU) place in the world (relative toAfrica andAsia), as opposed to the one- and two-euro coins showing the 15 states as one and the 10- to 50-cent coins showing separateEU states.[1]
The national sides, then 15 (eurozone +Monaco,San Marino and theVatican, who could mint their own), were each designed according to national competitions, though to specifications which applied to all coins, such as the requirement of including twelve stars (seeeuro coins for more). National designs were not allowed to change until the end of 2008, unless a monarch (whose portrait usually appears on the coins) dies or abdicates.[2] This happened in Monaco and the Vatican City, resulting in three new designs in circulation (the Vatican had an interimsede vacante design until the newPope was elected). However, starting in 2007, some national designs underwent minor changes due to regulations requiring national designs to meet a series of specifications.
As theEU's membership has sinceexpanded in 2004 and 2007, with further expansions envisaged, the common face of all euro coins from the value of 10 cent and above were redesigned in 2007 to show a new map. The 1- to 5-cent coins, however, did not change, as the highlighting of the old members over the globe was so faint it was not considered worth the cost. However, new national coin designs were added: in 2007 forSlovenia; in 2008 forCyprus andMalta; in 2009 forSlovakia; in 2011 forEstonia; in 2014 forLatvia; in 2015 forLithuania; and in 2023 forCroatia.[3]Andorra began minting its own designs in 2014 after winning the right to do so.
The coins are composed ofcopper-covered steel, with a diameter of 16.25 mm, a 1.67 mm thickness and a mass of 2.30 grams. The coins' edges are smooth.[4] The coins have been used from 2002, though some are dated 1999 which is the year theeuro was created as a currency, but not put into general circulation.
The reverse was designed by Luc Luycx and displays a globe in the bottom right. The then-fifteen members of the EU are lightly highlighted and the northern half ofAfrica and the western half ofAsia (including theMiddle East) are shown. Six fine lines cut diagonally behind the globe from each side of the coin and have twelve stars at their ends (reflective of theflag of Europe). To the top left is a large number 1 followed, in smaller text, by the words "EURO CENT". The designer's initials, LL, appear to the right of the globe.
Starting in 2017 coins from individual member states have started adjusting their common side design to a new version, identified by smaller and more rounded numeral "1" and longer lines outside of the stars at the coin's circumference.[5]
The obverse side of the coin depends on the issuing country. All have to include the name or an abbrevation of the issuing country. The national side of circulation coins shall bear a circle of 12 stars that shall fully surround the national design, including the year mark and the indication of the issuing Member State’s name. The side cannot repeat the denomination of the coin unless the issuing country uses an alphabet other thanLatin (currently, Greece and Cyprus are the only such countries and Greece engraves "1 ΛΕΠΤΟ" (1 lepto) on its coins); Austria ignores this rule, engraving "EIN EURO CENT" on its coins, hence will have to change its design to comply this rule.[6]
Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Spain minted coins dated 1999, 2000 and 2001 although these entered circulation in 2002. Monaco minted coins dated 2001 although these entered circulation in 2002 too.
| State | Details | Years of minting (years shown) | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 Andorran euro coins | APyrenean chamois and agolden eagle. | 2014 onwards |  |
 Austrian euro coins | AnAlpinegentian as a symbol of Austria's part in developingEU environmental policy. TheGerman language words "EIN EURO CENT" (one euro cent) appear at the top with ahatchedAustrian flag below with the date. | 2002 onwards |  |
 Belgian euro coins | FIRST SERIES: Aneffigy ofKing Albert II. To the right-hand side among the stars was the King'smonogram, a letter "A", underneath a crown. The year is lower down, also among the stars. | 1999–2007 | .jpg) |
| SECOND SERIES: A redesign to include the letters BE (standing for Belgium) beneath the monogram, which was moved out of the stars into the centre circle but still to the right of the King's renewed portrait. The date was also moved out and placed beneath the effigy and included two symbols either side (left: signature mark of the master of the mint, right: mint mark). This portrait did not comply with previous decisions by the ECOFIN in 2005 and 2008. Therefore, an amendment was made in 2009, which reverted to the portrait of Albert II found in the first series. Mint marks, year and stars remained the same. | 2008–2013 | ||
| THIRD SERIES: In 2013, King Albert II abdicated, andPhilippe of Belgium became King. Philippe subsequently replaced Albert on Belgian coins. | 2014 onwards | ||
 Croatian euro coins | A ligature forGlagolitic letters ⰘⰓ (HR) and theCroatian language word "Hrvatska" ("Croatia"), accomplished by a checkerboard in the background, designed by Maja Škripelj. | 2023 onwards |  |
 Cypriot euro coins | TwoMouflons, a species of wildsheep on Cyprus that represents the island's wildlife. It includes, in a semicircle to the top right, the native name of Cyprus inGreek andTurkish (ΚΥΠΡΟΣ and KIBRIS) each side of the date. | 2008 onwards |  |
 Estonian euro coins | A geographical image of Estonia and theEstonian language word "Eesti" ("Estonia"). | 2011 onwards |  |
 Finnish euro coins | FIRST SERIES: The heraldic lion of Finland found on theCoat of arms of Finland. It is a reproduction of a design by the sculptorHeikki Häiväoja and has been used by previous Finnish coins such as the 1markka between 1964 and 2001. The first series included the initial of the mint master of the Mint of Finland, Raimo Makkonen (an M), on the bottom left side of the lion and the date to the left. | 1999–2006 |  |
| SECOND SERIES: When the coins were redesigned to meet the new design requirements, the initial was replaced by the mint's mint mark and moved to the left, with the letters FI (for Finland) sitting in the bottom right. | 2007 onwards | ||
 French euro coins | Marianne, the feminine representation of France, its state and its values. It is the most prominent representation of France and its ideals of liberty and reason, dating from 1848. The depiction is young and determined, embodying France's desire for a sound and lasting Europe. The letters RF (République française), stylised, appear to the right above the year. | 1999 onwards |  |
 German euro coins | Anoak twig, an image carried over from the previouspfennig. The year and mint mark are shown at the bottom. | 2002 onwards |  |
 Greek euro coins | AnAtheniantrireme from the 5th century BCE used inancient Greece. Below it is the denomination inGreek and above is the year. | 2002 onwards | |
 Irish euro coins | The national emblem of Ireland, an Irish harp (the Cláirseach, seeClàrsach). Vertically on the left hand side is the word "Éire" (Ireland in theIrish language) and on the right-hand side is the date. The harp motif was designed by Jarlath Hayes. | 2002 onwards |  |
 Italian euro coins | A depiction of theCastel del Monte inAndria (Apulia) that was built in the 13th century byHoly Roman Emperor Frederick II. It includes the interconnected letters RI (Repubblica Italiana) below and the year above. | 2002 onwards |  |
 Latvian euro coins | A small coat of arms of the Republic of Latvia above theLatvian language word LATVIJA (Latvia). | 2014 onwards |  |
 Lithuanian euro coins | TheVytis (symbol of the coat-of-arms) and theLithuanian language word "Lietuva", which means "Lithuania". The twelve stars, symbols of the EU, surrounds the Vytis. | 2015 onwards | |
 Luxembourgish euro coins | A stylised effigy ofGrand Duke Henri of Luxembourg designed byYvette Gastauer-Claire in consultation with thegovernment andmonarchy of Luxembourg. The name "Lëtzebuerg" (Luxembourg inLuxembourgish) and the year is written round the bottom of the coin. | 2002 onwards | |
 Maltese euro coins | Depicts an altar of the prehistoricmegalithMnajdra temples. The temples were built in thefourth millennium BCE on the southern coast overlooking the sea. Beneath the depiction is the name Malta and the year. | 2008 onwards |  |
 Monégasque euro coins | FIRST SERIES: The coat of arms of Monaco with the name MONACO across the top of the coin's outer circle and the year across the bottom of the outer circle with the mint marks. | 2001–2005 | |
| SECOND SERIES: WhenPrince Albert II succeededPrince Rainier III in 2005, the overall design was kept but the name and the year were moved within the circle to bring it in line with the new designs of the other coins that had changed significantly. | 2006 onwards | ||
 Dutch euro coins | A stylised profile of QueenBeatrix of the Netherlands surrounded by the twelve stars and other dots, with the inscription "Beatrix Queen of The Netherlands" in theDutch language around the edge. The date and mint marks are located at the bottom. | 1999–2013 |  |
| SECOND SERIES: Following the accession to the throne ofKing Willem-Alexander, a new series of euro coins was issued depicting the effigy of the new King. | 2014 onwards | ||
 Portuguese euro coins | The royal seal of 1134 (stylised "Portugal") surrounded by the country's castles and fiveescutcheons with silverbezants set in relation to the surrounding European stars, and is intended to symbolise dialogue, exchange of values and dynamics in the building of Europe. Between the castles are the numbers of the year towards the bottom and the letters of the name Portugal between the upper icons. The stars are inset on a ridge. | 2002 onwards |  |
 Sammarinese euro coins | FIRST SERIES: The third ofthe Three Towers of San Marino;Montale. In a semicircle above the tower to the right are the words San Marino and to the left, the date. The mint marks are shown to the lower right. | 2002–2016 | |
| SECOND SERIES: The official coat of arms of the Republic of San Marino, the City Gate and the Church of St Quirinus, respectively. | 2017 onwards | ||
 Slovak euro coins | Kriváň, a notable peak of theTatra mountains. Kriváň symbolises Slovakia's sovereignty. Below is theSlovak language name SLOVENSKO (Slovakia), then the year and thecoat of arms of Slovakia with the mint marks either side. | 2009 onwards |  |
 Slovenian euro coins | Astork, a motif taken from the former 20-tolarjev coin by Janez Boljka. Between each star round the right-hand edge are the letters SLOVENIJA (Slovenia) with the date after it to the upper left. | 2007 onwards |  |
 Spanish euro coins | FIRST SERIES: The Obradoiro façade of theCathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a prime example of SpanishBaroque architecture started in 1667 by Jose del Toro and Domingo de Andrade and completed in the 18th century by Fernando Casas y Novoa. The cathedral, which isRomanesque and dates from 1128, is a majorpilgrimage destination. The name España (Spain) is shown to the top left and the top left five stars are indented on a raised area, inverting the effect of the rest of the coin. The date is shown to the top right. | 1999–2009 | |
| SECOND SERIES: In 2010 the raised area around the stars was removed. | 2010 onwards | ||
 Vatican euro coins | FIRST SERIES: An effigy ofPope John Paul II. TheItalian language nameCITTA DEL VATICANO (Vatican City), followed by the year and mint mark, was written in a break between the stars below. | 2002–2005 | |
| SECOND SERIES: Following the death of John Paul II in 2005, a new coin was issued during theSede vacante until a new Pope was chosen in the2005 papal conclave. This contained the insignia of theApostolic Chamber and the coat of arms of theCardinal Chamberlain. | 2005 | ||
| THIRD SERIES: WhenPope Benedict XVI was elected, his effigy appeared on the coins, with the name of the city now broken to his top right with the year and mint mark in the middle to his right. | 2006–2013 | .jpg) | |
| FOURTH SERIES: In 2014 the coins were updated with the election ofPope Francis.CITTA DEL VATICANO is written around the top, broken by Pope Francis' head, with the date below the O in Vaticano. | 2014–2016 |  | |
| FIFTH SERIES: After the announcement that Pope Francis would not appear on any coins issued by the Vatican, a new series of euro coins were issued to depict the papal coat of arms of Francis. | 2017 onwards |
Austria, Germany and Greece will also at some point need to update their designs to comply with guidelines stating they must include the issuing state's name or initial, and not repeat the denomination of the coin (Austria only). On the other hand, Slovenia, Greece, and Luxembourg have to comply with the star rule.[6]
In addition, there are several EU states that have not yet adopted the euro, some of them have already agreed upon their coin designs; however, it is not known exactly when they will adopt the currency, and hence these are not yet minted. Seeenlargement of the eurozone for expected entry dates of these countries.
The one- and two-cent coins were initially introduced to ensure that the transition to the euro was not used as an excuse by retailers to heavily round up prices. However, due to the cost of maintaining a circulation of low-value coins by business and the mints,Belgium,Estonia,Finland,Ireland,Italy,Lithuania, theNetherlands andSlovakia round prices to the nearest five cent (Swedish rounding) if paying by cash, while producing only a handful of those coins for collectors, rather than general circulation.[8][9] However, each euro country will always have to accept the small coins as legal tender.[10]
TheNederlandsche Bank calculated it would save $36 million a year by not using the smaller coins. Other countries such as Germany favoured retaining the coins due to retailers' desire for €1.99 prices, which appear more attractive to the consumer than €2.00 (psychological pricing).[10] According to a 2021Eurobarometer survey of citizens across the Eurozone, 67% of respondents were in favor of the removal of the 1 and 2 cent coins and rounding of prices; with over 75% in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Slovakia. All countries in the eurozone showed a plurality of people in favor of the abolishment.[7]
InFlemish, the 1- to 5-cent coins have thenicknamekoper (copper),ros (redhead) orrostjes (little redhead) due to their colour. InPortugal, the 1-cent coin gained the nicknamesbotão (button),feijão (bean) andmoedas-pretas (black-coins) due to its small size, colour and value: instead of gambling with real money, buttons sometimes are used. InItaly 1, 2 and 5 cent coins are called "ramini" or "bronzini", meaning respectively "little coppers" and "little bronzes". In Ireland they are also known as "coppers".
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