Editing Euro coins (section)

==== Regulations ====
The basis for the euro coins is derived from a European recommendation from 2003, which allowed changing the national obverse sides of euro coins from 1 January 2004 onwards.<ref>{{cite journal |title=OJ 2003/C 247/03 – New national side of euro coins intended for circulation |journal=Official Journal of the European Union |date=15 October 2003 |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2003:247:0005:0006:EN:PDF |access-date=11 November 2021 }}</ref> However, a number of recommendations and restrictions still apply.

Euro coins must still have a common reverse side, so only the national obverse sides may be varied. Also, the standard national obverse sides ''per se'' should not be changed before 2008 at the earliest, unless the [[head of state]] depicted on some coins changes before then. (This clause already came into effect for Monaco and the Vatican City, whose [[head of state|heads of state]]—[[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Rainier&nbsp;III]] and [[Pope John Paul&nbsp;II]] respectively—died in 2005 and whose national obverse sides were changed for 2006).

In 2005, another recommendation added two more guidelines regarding the design of the coins. The state issuing a coin should in some way clearly be identified on the obverse side, either by stating the full name or a clearly identifiable abbreviation of it; and neither name nor the denomination of the coin should be repeated on the obverse, as it is already featured on the common reverse side.<ref>{{cite journal |title=OJ 2005/L 186/01 |journal=Official Journal of the European Union |date=18 July 2005 |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2005/l_186/l_18620050718en00010002.pdf}}</ref>

These restrictions do not apply retroactively; only new designs—the national obverse sides for regular issues of states newly joining the euro or of eurozone states which change their design, and €2&nbsp;commemorative coins issued from 2006 onwards—are subject to them. However, the five countries whose designs violated the first update to the rules ([[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Finland]], [[Germany]] and [[Greece]]) initially were assumed to have to change their design in the future, which Finland did for 2007<ref>{{cite press release |title=Designs of euro coins will be amended in 2007 |publisher=[[Bank of Finland]] |date=27 December 2006 |url=http://www.bof.fi/en/suomen_pankki/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/2006/tiedote33_2006.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212193518/http://www.bof.fi/en/suomen_pankki/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/2006/tiedote33_2006.htm |archive-date=12 December 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and Belgium for 2008.

In 2008, another recommendation changed the rules again:<ref>{{cite journal |title=OJ 2009/L 9/52 |journal=Official Journal of the European Union |date=14 January 2009 |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:009:0052:0055:EN:PDF}}</ref>
* The twelve stars of the [[European Union]] surrounding the coin designs need to surround the national design, including year marks and the name of the country. The stars have to appear in the same way as they are aligned on the flag of the European Union.
* The design of euro coins may not be changed except for two specific circumstances:
** If a coin design is in violation of the recommendations, it may be updated to bring it into line with them.
** If a coin design depicts a head of state, it may be updated:
::# every fifteen years to bring it into line with the head of state's current appearance;
::# if the head of state abdicates or dies. However, temporary heads of state may not be used as a reason for changing the design; instead a €2&nbsp;commemorative coin (potentially a second €2&nbsp;commemorative coin) will be allowed to be issued.

Finland and Belgium had already corrected their design on the coins issued to include the initials of the country in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Belgium was forced to change its design back to show the original portrait of its monarch, because the 2008 update to follow the recommendations also updated the portrait, which was against the rules. The Belgian coins from 2009 onwards show the original royal portrait of 1999, but otherwise keep the new 2008 coin design as far as the country identification and year mark are concerned. These provisions additionally prohibit further ''[[sede vacante]]'' sets of coins by the Vatican City, allowing only commemorative coins for such occasions. Finland and Spain updated their designs to meet the new rules about the stars in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

In 2012, a European Regulation approved new specifications of euro coins and named (in article 1&nbsp;g) a deadline for national sides of regular coins to be updated to fully comply with the current regulation: 20 June 2062.<ref>[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:169:0008:0010:en:PDF EU Council Regulation No. 566/2012 of 18 June 2012: Specifications of euro coins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125183412/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:169:0008:0010:en:PDF |date=25 November 2022 }} (PDF) Retrieved 21 June 2013</ref>
* The national side of circulation coins shall not repeat any indication of the denomination, or any parts thereof, of the coin. It shall not repeat the name of the single currency or of its subdivision, unless such indication stems from the use of a different alphabet. However, the edge lettering of the 2-euro coin may include an indication of the denomination, provided that only the figure&nbsp;"2" or the term "euro" in the relevant alphabet, or both, are used.
* The national side of all denominations of circulation coins shall bear an indication of the issuing Member State by means of the Member State's name or an abbreviation of it.
* The national side of circulation coins shall bear a circle of 12&nbsp;stars that shall fully surround the national design, including the year mark and the indication of the issuing Member State's name. This shall not prevent some design elements from extending into the circle of stars, provided that the stars are all clearly and fully visible. The 12&nbsp;stars shall be depicted as on the Union flag.
* Changes to the designs used for the national sides of regular coins may only be made once every 15&nbsp;years, without prejudice to changes necessary to prevent counterfeiting of the currency. Without prejudice of the previous, changes to the designs used for the national sides of regular coins may be made where the Head of State referred to on a coin changes. However, a temporary vacancy or the provisional occupation of the function of Head of State shall not give any additional right to such change.
* Issuing Member States shall update their national sides of regular coins in order to fully comply with this Regulation by 20 June 2062.

In 2014, a new Regulation regarding euro coins was approved. In it, no changes related to what was mentioned above were established.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R0729&from=en |title=COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 729/2014 of 24 June 2014 on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation |access-date=25 November 2022 |archive-date=13 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213010736/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R0729&from=EN |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{As of|2016}}, Belgium, Monaco, the Netherlands, Spain and Vatican City have all experienced a change in head of state and have revised their designs to reflect this and the new regulation where applicable.

In 2022, France came to comply with the stars' rule after the design change it made on the 1 and 2&nbsp;euro coins, in which the year had until then been inserted between the stars of the Union.

{{As of|2023}}, Austria, Germany and Greece still have to include an indication of the issuing Member State. Additionally, Greece, Luxembourg and Slovenia have to comply with the rule of the stars. Finally, Austria must eliminate the denominations on the national side of their euro coins.

Bear in mind that the foregoing refers to "regular" coins since, in the case of the [[2&nbsp;euro commemorative coins]], the aforementioned is fulfilled in all coins since 2013. This is due to the fact that each one of these coins supposes a variation in the design, while, as mentioned, "regular" coins were not affected unless the design of the national sides was changed, and have until June 20, 2062 in the event that the design had not been changed before.

Finally, the different States must inform each other of their new draft designs (both of "regular" and 2&nbsp;euro commemorative coins), as well as the European Council and the European Commission, which must give its approval. In one example, the initial design of Andorran 10, 20 and 50&nbsp;cent coins did not obtain EU approval because the image of the ''Pantokrator of San Martí de la Cortinada'', included in those coins, violated the principle of religious neutrality. The image of the religious figure was eliminated in the final Andorran coin design. Another example, the 2&nbsp;euro commemorative coins that Belgium planned to issue in 2015 on the 200th anniversary of the [[Battle of Waterloo]], caused complaints by France and withdrawal of the design. However, Belgium did issue a 2.50&nbsp;euro collector's coin, taking advantage of the fact that these coins are not submitted to the draft design approval.