Frequently asked questions
This is a list of the questions we are most frequently asked. If you do not find an answer to your question in this list, please contact our service center for further assistance.
Purchasing euro collector coins
Where can I purchase German euro collector coins?
You can purchase collector coins in mint gloss condition from Münze Deutschland in Weiden, Germany. Coins in circulated condition are available from Deutsche Bundesbank branches and from other banks.
Why is sales tax charged on collector coins?
The coins from Münze Deutschland are collector products that are subject to sales tax. Customers can purchase the coins from Münze Deutschland in high-quality packaging and in the high mint gloss collector quality. At banks and building societies, the silver commemorative coins are exchanged at nominal value and without packaging. The coins are only available in brilliant uncirculated quality.
Becoming a customer
How do I become a customer of Münze Deutschland?
Anyone can buy coins from Münze Deutschland. New editions of the euro collector and commemorative coins of the Federal Republic of Germany are available in mint gloss quality and gold coins as well as circulation coins are available in brilliant uncirculated and simple minting quality.
All coins/coin sets, which are currently available to order, are listed in our online shop. Please use our online shop to place your order.
There is a special ordering procedure for gold coins.
Value side of a coin
What do the two “L”s on the value side of the euro coins mean?
These are the designer’s initials, Luc Luyxc (Belgium).
Material of a coin
The 1 and 2 euro coins sometimes have different colors. Does this mean that different metals have been used?
Like all materials, the metals used in coins are also subject to environmental influences. Therefore, color fluctuations can occur depending on the time of manufacture, the storage location, temperature, humidity, etc. In addition, the center part of the 2 euro coin and the ring around the 1 euro coin are made from a copper alloy with zinc and nickel additives. Even a minor change in the composition can cause slight color fluctuations and a reddish coloring. This is tolerated and does not represent a defect.
What does the alloy "Sterling silver” consist of?
Sterling silver consists of 925 parts silver and 75 parts copper.
What is meant by "Nordic gold"?
The alloy from which the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins are produced is called “Nordic gold”. The metal mixture consists of copper (89 percent), aluminum (5 percent), zinc (5 percent) and tin (1 percent). Not to be confused with the term “Gold of the North” which is the name given to amber.
Properties of a coin
Are the new euro coins different thicknesses? The 50 euro cent coins in particular don’t seem to be uniform!
The 10 to 50 cent coins, and also the 1 and 2 euro coins, can sometimes appear to be different thicknesses. This is an optical illusion caused by the ribbed edge of the coin. Ribbing that has become very rounded makes the coins look thinner than standard coinage. Minting of the ribbed edge is technically very difficult. During minting, the coin blank must be pressed into the indentations in the minting ring. At the elevations of the minting ring, with which the material comes into contact first, burrs can form prematurely on the flat bar. It is down to the extreme skill of the master minter that the optimal specification of the value and image side as well as the coin edge are achieved. Minor differences are, however, inevitable.
Edge lettering of a coin
The edge lettering on a euro doesn’t always begin at the same place on the coins. Why is that?
The edge lettering is minted into the coin blank in a separate work step. Only after this is done are the unsorted blanks added to the mint for the image and value sides. Therefore, it is a matter of chance which side of the coin the edge lettering can be read from and at which place on the coin edge it begins.
EU coins of new Member States
Countless new candidates are knocking on the door of the EU. Will these countries also issue their own euro coins later?
Potential new EU candidates first have to pass an adaptation phase of at least two years before they can join the currency union. Then, however, these countries, like all other countries, will have euro coins with their own national coin side.