Will the 11-Euro Coin for the European Soccer Championship Become a Numismatic Fairy Tale?
German mints have demonstrated their prowess with innovations like polymer coins, proving they can compete at the highest levels of minting technology.
In recent years, many collectors in Germany have often been quite critical of "Münze Deutschland," the official sales agency for collector coins. They felt that the coins released by their country over the last few decades were often uninspiring and, at times, even embarrassing. Despite this, German mints have demonstrated their prowess with innovations like polymer coins, proving they can compete at the highest levels of minting technology. With the launch of a new brand, "Münze Deutschland," there was an effort to stand out among the major players in the industry.
This year, Münze Deutschland took a bold risk with an uncertain outcome: they introduced an 11-euro coin for the 2024 European Soccer Championship. For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic (excluding the 25-Euro silver coins), there was a "non-standard" denomination on German coins – something that has not been seen for more than 100 years, when 3-mark coins were minted in the Weimar Republic. This exotic numismatic choice clashed with the staid and conservative image that Münze Deutschland inherited from its predecessor, the government-administered German Sales Agency for Collectors Coins, or "Verkaufsstelle für Sammlermünzen."
More Than a Cheap PR Stunt?
The soccer coin sparked passionate and critical debates like few other coin issues from the Federal Republic. Some called it a cheap PR stunt (due to the familiar soccer rhetoric of "eleven friends," and so on), while others saw it as an insult to value-oriented collectors (due to its 500/1000 silver alloy) and criticized its design: The centerpiece of the coin prominently features a soccer ball, forming the core element of the design. This is complemented by a stylized soccer field with corner flags. The color scheme of black, red, and gold references Germany, the host country of the event. Additionally, the design includes the numbers "1" and "0," which may refer to the final score of a game or the number of venues.
However, what happened on May 8, 2024, in front of Bundesbank branches across Germany, resembled a fairy tale: long lines formed everywhere, with at least 100 to 200 people depending on the city. In Hamburg, the line wrapped around the entire building, and in Hanover, people snaked across the entire square. Previous coin issues from the Federal Republic, especially the 2-euro coins or coins with color applications, barely drew any collectors (or, in the worst case, none at all). But now, people of all ages flocked to Bundesbank locations to get their soccer coins.
Every four years, the UEFA European Soccer Championships, commonly known as the Euros, captivate millions across Europe and beyond. This tournament, which started in 1960, has grown into one of the most prestigious soccer events globally, rivaling even the FIFA World Cup in its fervor and fan engagement. The Euros bring together the top national teams from across Europe, offering a stage for both emerging talents and established stars to shine. The tournament now features 24 national teams, expanded from the original 4, showcasing the growing competitive landscape of European soccer. Germany and Spain share the record for the most Euros titles, each having won the championship three times. Germany triumphed in 1972, 1980, and 1996, while Spain claimed victory in 1964, 2008, and 2012.
Understanding Europe’s Soccer Passion
Soccer's popularity in Europe is deeply rooted in the continent's culture and history. Unlike other regions where multiple sports vie for dominance, soccer (often translated to “Football” in most European countries) enjoys an almost unchallenged supremacy across Europe. The reasons for this are manifold: Firstly, the sport's simplicity and accessibility have been key. All that is needed is a ball and an open space, making it easy for children and adults alike to play. This accessibility has turned soccer into a social glue, fostering community spirit in both urban and rural areas. Secondly, Europe's soccer clubs, many of which are over a century old, have cultivated a rich heritage and fierce rivalries. These clubs are often integral to local identities, with their successes and failures deeply affecting community pride and cohesion. The passion for club soccer seamlessly extends to the national level during the Euros, uniting even the fiercest club rivals in nationalistic fervor.
The Next Big Thing After Polymer?
The cultural background helps explain why the numismatic celebration in front of the Bundesbank branches took the whole country by storm – and it inevitably brought back memories of 2016 when the first polymer coins were issued there. Those who secured a 5-euro polymer coin, "Blue Planet Earth," at face value back then are still happy today, as the coins are now worth ten times their original value, despite a mintage of 2 million pieces. By comparison, the soccer coin has only half that mintage.
Detlef Behr, the designer of the coin, mentioned in an interview with the magazine "Prägefrisch" that he was inspired by the 2020 soccer coin designed by his colleague, Thomas Serres. He further developed the idea by reversing the well-known soccer quote, "The round must go into the square," integrating the soccer field into the round coin shape. Behr emphasized the importance of making the soccer theme instantly recognizable in his design and creating a playful atmosphere. This was achieved through the artistic distortion of the field and the dynamic appearance of the corner flags. Behr aimed to use color subtly to highlight the engraving and materiality of the coin, which he considers essential for the coin's quality. He finds coin design particularly fascinating due to the challenge of fitting many details into a limited space, similar to stamp design.
However, Münze Deutschland's critics remain unconvinced by the soccer coin's success. They argue that the 11-euro coin, unlike the 2016 polymer coin, isn't truly innovative. They had hoped for at least a concave minting if not entirely different special effects. A bit of color, an odd denomination, and a budget silver alloy—are these supposed to be a big deal?
Coins and Soccer – Two Passions Deeply Rooted in the German Mentality
Given the high number of soccer fans in Germany, likely in the tens of millions, interest in this coin is expected to remain high. And let's think a few months ahead: what if Germany wins the European Championship this year? If the whole country celebrates with public viewings in great weather, as we've seen in past tournaments? The magic of a World or European Championship has captured even those who aren't usually interested in the sport since the fairy tale summer of 2006. The term “Sommermärchen” became popular in Germany after the national team almost won the 2006 Soccer World Cup in their home country, and Germans all over the Federal Republic celebrated the success, waving the black, red, and yellow flag.
Many people, whether soccer fans or not, will look for a memento of this year’s European Soccer Championship in their own country and discover the 11-euro coin as an affordable and unique souvenir from Germany. And we haven't even mentioned the many fans from other countries yet. So, we may be witnessing a numismatic fairy tale unfold.
Soccer: A Recurring Topic in European Numismatics
While soccer has been the most popular sport in Europe for decades, soccer balls rarely appear on European coins. However, when they do, they earn special places in numismatic yearbooks. For instance, in 2003, Germany issued the first of four 10-euro silver coins for the World Cup, which took place in the country in 2006. This event was numismatically crowned with a 100-euro gold coin. The soccer coins from 2003 to 2006 were Germany’s first coin series in the Euro era.
In 2011, the Federal Republic honored the Women's World Cup and accidentally produced one of the most sought-after and expensive trial coins in German history. The initial designs separated the term "women's soccer" with a hyphen, but this small hyphen disappeared on the final coin. The few remaining examples with the hyphen are traded for up to 3,000 euros.
Almost ten years later, not only did the European Championship fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, but so did the planned coin for the event. A silver coin with a face value of 20 euros was only issued in June 2021. However, the inscription on the coin was not updated, so the European Championship is still dated to 2020, even though the tournament took place from June to July 2021. Other countries like Belgium followed the German example, while some countries like Portugal had already minted their Euro 2020 coins in the year 2020 with the corresponding year-date.
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