Andorra and the euro
The Andorran euro coins are the Andorra planned from 2014 Coins of the common European currency, the euro.
Prehistory
The Principality of Andorra has unilaterally introduced with the introduction of the euro in its neighboring countries, Spain and France, the euro. The country related to the euro may have made " de facto", but not " de jure ". The biggest obstacle to a monetary agreement with the countries of the euro zone was not the pseudo currency Diner and the adjustment of the tax law, but the Andorran banking secrecy. So the government decided already on 11 October 2000, the introduction of the euro in 2004 and took this regard negotiations, with the aim of minting and distributing its own euro coins as of 1 January 2009. However, agreement could not be reached at this time.
Legal basis and scope of the embossing rights
On 30 June 2011, a Monetary Agreement between the EU and Andorra was signed, which came into force on 1 April 2012. Thus, the euro became the official currency of the Principality. Andorra received, under certain conditions, the right to issue euro coins as from 1 July 2013, in the amount of 2.4 million euros per year. On September 30, 2013 actually ended the planned implementation period for the conditions imposed in the monetary agreement. Jorge Cinca, the Andorran Minister of Finance, said on 2 October 2012, the General Council, the unicameral parliament of Andorra, there are still problems in the implementation of European legislation to prevent money laundering, as well as the signing of a cooperation agreement with the International Organization of Securities Commissions ( IOSCO) on the legislation in combating fraud and counterfeiting of banknotes and coins. The delaying the start of the coinage until January 2014. Was only on 20 November 2013, required under the monetary agreement decrees implementing European standards of the Andorran government were adopted.
Circulation coins
2011, a design competition was announced for designing the Andorran euro coins, which took place in March / April 2013. The 2-euro coin was to be excluded from, since the Andorran coat of arms is displayed. To Münzgestaltung there were the following requirements: On the one euro coin, the Casa de la Vall is to be imaged on the coins of 10 to 50 cents Romanesque art and the small coins from 1 to 5 cents, there will be natural pictures.
On 16 May 2013, the selected designs of the coins were introduced and announced their runs. Are marked the 2- euro coins and the 10 -, 20 - and 50 - cent coins by the Monnaie de Paris, 1- Euro coins and the 1 -, 2 - and 5- cent coins of the Spanish Mint (it). The EU made until early December 2013 the green light for the production of the coins, the issue thus, as originally intended, can not be done by 1 January 2014, but during the first quarter of 2014. The Andorran government stipulated that 80 % of coins, mixed with French and Spanish coins are put into circulation. 20 % are provided in the form of coin sets for collectors.
At Ruben da Silva designed coins 1-5 cents a Pyrenean chamois and a bearded vulture is shown, where from 10 to 50 cents was a detail of the Pantocrator fresco in the Romanesque church of Sant Martí de la Cortinada and the Romanesque church Santa Coloma provided as a motive. After objection by the EU Commission against the religious Pantokrator motif on the 10 -, 20 - and 50 - cent coins to the design of Moles Disseny and Les Escaldes only mapped the Church of Santa Coloma. The presentation of the Casa de la Vall on the 1- euro coins was modified from the competition design by Jordi Puy; the 1 - to 5 - cent coins were changed in details - but shows the publication in the EU Official Journal, the Casa de la Vall, in the version of the competition design.
Design of the coins
VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR ( United virtue is stronger)