| Description : The Cologne Cathedral with its two 157 m high towers is
one of the largest cathedrals in the Gothic style. Its construction began in 1248 and was only completed in 1880, after more
than 600 years. Even then a national symbol for Germany, the (apparently) intact cathedral was seen as an emotional symbol
of the will to live after the end of the Second World War in the middle of the bombed‐out city. The coin depicts the
cathedral, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, bears the federal state name
"NORDRHEIN‐WESTFALEN" (North Rhine‐Westphalia) underneath it. The country abbreviation "D" (for Deutschland / Germany)
is located in the upper right‐hand side of the ring, the year of issue "2011" flanks the 6 o'clock star on both
sides. The German mint mark
(A = Staatliche Münze Berlin in Berlin, D = Bayerisches Hauptmünzamt in Munich,
F = Staatliche Münzen Baden‐Württemberg in Stuttgart, G = Staatliche
Münzen Baden‐Württemberg in Karlsruhe or J = Landesbetrieb Hamburgische Münze in
Hamburg) is located at the top right of the motif, and on the right the initials "HH" of the designer Heinz Hoyer. |
