Slovenian euro coins

Slovenian euro coins were first issued for circulation on 1 January 2007 and a unique feature is designed for each coin. The design of approximately 230 million Slovenian euro coins (total value of approximately €80 million) was unveiled on 7 October 2005. The designers were Miljenko Licul, Maja Licul and Janez Boljka. The Mint of Finland was chosen to mint the coins through an international tender in 2007. In 2008, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (Royal Dutch Mint) was chosen to mint the coins; between 2009 and 2011, the Mint of Finland; in 2012 and 2013, the Mint of Slovakia; and in 2014, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (Royal Dutch Mint).

The Slovenian euro coins were the first to feature a new common side, with a new map of Europe on the bicoloured and Nordic-gold coins. For images of the common side and a detailed description of the coins, see euro coins.

¹ Slovenia achieved independence under the zodiac sign of Cancer.

* No coins were minted that year for that denomination
** Data not available yet
*** Small quantities minted for sets only

Slovenia joined the Eurozone on January 1, 2007. In such a short time they already built a small collection of collectors coins, with face value ranging from 3 to 100 euro. Although they are all legal tender in Slovenia, these coins are not really intended to be used as means of payment, so generally they do not circulate (the only exception is the 3 euro coins which can be found in circulation although very, very rarely).

The first stage of the selection process started in April 2004, involving preliminary discussions with numismatists, designers and experts. The general public was also invited through the mass media to participate in a public tender concerning proposals of motifs (132 tenderers proposed 699 motifs). A special expert commission (9 different individual experts and members of different institutions, including the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Slovenia) dealt with the proposals and the process. The second stage of selection started when the Government of the Republic of Slovenia confirmed the commission's decision that invitations would be addressed to some prominent designers for the production of designs.

...
Wikipedia