14 DAY TRIAL // The French Ministry of Finance has recently approved a request from Monnaie de Paris, the national mint of France, to release a collector's set of coins marking 50 years of space cooperation in the European Union. The new coins are endorsed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The collection is dubbed “50 Years of European Space Cooperation” and features coins ranging in value from €5 to €500 ($6.84 to $684). The €5, €50, €200 and €500 coins are made out of gold, while the €10 coin is made out of silver. All bear the name of the collection on the obverse side.
Also on the obverse are two images of the same rocket, the Ariane V heavy-lift delivery system developed for ESA by Arianespace. The Ariane V has a near-perfect launch track record, and is the workhorse of the European Space Agency for all of its flagship missions.
For medium-lift mission requirements, ESA is using Russian-built Soyuz rockets, while smaller payloads are ferried into space aboard Vega rockets. All delivery systems take off from the agency's Kourou Spaceport, in French Guiana, South America,
Due to its critical role in putting ESA at the top of the international space industry, Ariane V is featured prominently on the obverse of the coins. Other elements include the years being commemorated, 1964 to 2014, the value of the gold or silver coins, and the ESA logo on the upper right side.
The reverse features the goddess Europa as a central figure. Monnaie de Paris decided in collaboration with ESA to include stars in her hair, and to put several flag poles signifying the international cooperation between ESA member states on the left hand side of the coin. The 12 stars on the EU flag can be seen as the 12 euro symbols adorning her head like a crown.
ESA and the French national mint have been working on this design since September 2013. The coins will not be put into general circulation, but are instead intended as collector's items. This is why they can only be purchased directly from the Monnaie de Paris.
The collection was made available to the general public yesterday, February 10, 2014. Get them while supplies last.
