Scoring Big: The New 11-Euro Coin Celebrates the European Soccer Championship

by Sebastian Wieschowski

Today marks a historic day for coin collectors and Soccer fans in Germany, as the Federal Republic of Germany releases a special coin honoring the 2024 European Soccer Championship. This unique 11-euro coin is now available at Bundesbank branches, and a rush is expected. Those who want to ensure they get one should visit their trusted coin dealer to secure their personal copy.

The 11-euro coin is noteworthy not only for its face value but also for its innovative design, which aims to capture the excitement for Soccer ahead of the European Championship. This coin represents a significant innovation in German coin history and continues a tradition that last made headlines in 2016 with the introduction of the 5-euro polymer coin "Blue Planet Earth." Issued in a batch of 2 million, the value of that coin has risen to 90 to 100 euros, underscoring the potential of such collector's items as an investment – especially since the Soccer coin's issue is only half as large.

The limited edition of just one million pieces for the 11-euro coin could further increase its collector value. Given the high number of Soccer fans in Germany, which runs into the millions, interest in this coin is understandably high. This is also reflected in the strong demand that is already indicating high participation in the initial issue.

The release of the 11-euro coin marks not only a financial but also a cultural highlight. It symbolizes the official kickoff to the European Soccer Championship and brings a wave of enthusiasm and national pride. In a time when Germany has placed few real innovations in the coin world, the new 11-euro coin offers a fresh perspective and could spark a new interest in coin collecting.

The issuance of the 11-euro coin today thus provides a welcome change and shows the potential to appeal to both collectors and the general public. The fact that the coin is minted from silver (500/1000) and strictly limited (to a maximum of one million pieces) underscores its value and makes it a must-have for anyone interested in both Soccer and coin collecting.

With the upcoming European Championship and the excitement this coin has already generated, it is expected that the 11-euro coin will not only be a success among collectors but also a symbol of the sporting spirit and cultural connection in Germany. A key feature of the coin is the roof architecture of the Berlin Olympic Stadium, the venue for the final.

At the center of the coin, there is also a prominently featured Soccer, which is the central element of the design. This is complemented by a stylized playing field with corner flags. The choice of colors in black, red, and gold refers to Germany, the host country of the event. Additionally, the design integrates the digits "1" and "0," which might hint at the final score of a game or the number of venues.

Detlef Behr, the designer of the coin, was inspired by his colleague Thomas Serres's 2020 Soccer coin, as mentioned in an interview in the magazine "Prägefrisch." Behr developed the idea further by reversing the well-known Soccer saying "The round must go into the square" to integrate the playing field into the round coin shape. In his design, he emphasized quick recognition of the Soccer theme and a playful atmosphere. This was achieved by the artificial distortion of the playing field and the dynamically appearing corner flags. Behr focused on using color subtly to highlight the engraving and materiality of the coin, which he sees as essential for the value of a coin. The design of a coin particularly fascinates Behr because of the challenge of accommodating many details on a limited surface, similar to designing stamps.

Sebastian Wieschowski has been collecting coins since childhood and, after working as a journalist with a focus on finance and economy, has switched his focus on coins and precious since 2012. He is the author of several self-published books on Bullion Coins, Panda Coins, Fake Coins and Coin Grading and works for numismatic magazines. He is also a recurring expert on the German television program Münzengalerie (Coin Gallery), the longest running numismatic television show in the world. You can find out more about his work at coinosseur.com