Description : The Treaty establishing the European Community, called
the Treaty of Rome (originally called the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community and renamed the
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in December 2009) was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, the
Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands at the Conservatory Palace in Rome. It came
into force on 1st of January 1958. At the same time two other treaties were concluded, the Treaty establishing
the European Atomic Energy Community, which established EURATOM, and the Agreement on Institutions Common to the European
Communities, which stipulated that the European Economic Community (EEC), the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
and the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) had a common parliamentary assembly (now the European Parliament), a
common Court of Justice and a common Economic and Social Committee. On the 5th of May 2006, EU Commissioner
Joaquín Almunia and Eurogroup President Jean‐Claude Juncker announced the first transnational 2‐Euro
commemorative coin to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The directors of the Italian mint Istituto
Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, the Spanish mint Real Casa de la Moneda and the Austrian Mint Münze
Österreich AG met in Vienna to exchange ideas. The ideas were presented and amalgamated into a design by the
commissioned engraver Helmut Andexlinger, after approval he produced a model of the coin. It shows the treaty with the
signatures of the representatives from the six founding states, framed by the pavement pattern of the Capitol Square in Rome,
designed by Michelangelo where the treaty was signed. On the German version of the coin the commemorative event is called
"RÖMISCHE VERTRÄGE", on the Italian "TRATTATI DI ROMA" ‐ the other eleven euro countries describe it ‐ in
their national language ‐ "Treaty of Rome" (in the singular).
National characteristics : At the top are the words "TRATTATI DI ROMA" (Treaty of Rome) and "50° ANNIVERSARIO"
(50 years), below it is an illustration of the treaty with the words "EUROPA", at the bottom is the country name
"REPUBBLICA ITALIANA" (Italian Republic) and above it the year "2007" as well as an "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint
Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome. In contrast to all other coins of this joint issue, the signatures
of the treaties are embossed in relief and not in relief. |
