Finnish Euro Coins

On this page, in addition to a proper mention of Finnish Numismatics, we analyze all the Finnish Euro Coins to see if there are any rarities. We will analyze the three red coins of 1, 2 and 5 cents, the three brass coins of 10, 20 and 50 cents and the two bimetallic coins of 1 € and 2 € from Finland.

Brief introduction to the history of Finnish numismatics

What we are going to see briefly now is the recent history of Finnish Numismatics which led this State to the adoption of the Single European Currency, the Euro.

Before the Euro was officially introduced, the common currency in Finland was the Finnish Mark. Specifically, it was used from 1860 with the value of a quarter of a Russian ruble.

The Mark was divided into Pennies (or cents) with a value of 1 mark = 100 pens.

From 1865 the value of the Finnish Mark was tied to silver, completely detaching itself from the Russian ruble, while three years later, in 1868, it was tied to gold, becoming to all intents and purposes of the same value as the French Franc.

The first major changes in Finnish banknotes and coins took place several years later, namely in 1917. In this year, Finland gained complete independence from Russia and, as a result, the Russian lettering was completely removed from coins and banknotes.

In 1963 the Markka (common name for the Finnish mark) was replaced by a new Markka which had a value of 100 units of the old currency.

During the 140 years in which the Finnish Mark was in force, 28 different coins were minted.

The subjects represented have always been different even if in any case they were Finnish subjects.

Arrival of the Euro

On 1 January 1999, the Euro officially entered into circulation. The exchange rate fixed one day before was 1 Euro = 5.94573 marks. On January 1, 2002, a dual circulation phase began and ended on February 28, 2002.

The Finnish Marks could be exchanged for Euros until 29 February 2012.

After having made this necessary premise regarding Finnish Numismatics, the time has come to carefully analyze the individual coins. In this long journey we will analyze the technical characteristics, the materials used, the subjects represented and any curiosities about the individual coins.

Let’s start!

1 Cent Euro Finland Coin

The very first coin we are going to analyse is, of course, the Euro 1 cent coin from Finland. Specifically, this coin was made by the author Heikki Haivajoa. It must also be said that there are different versions of the same coin that date back to different years.

On the right side of all the coins we can see a wonderful representation of the heraldic lion which is the official symbol of Finland. Under the lion’s legs there is a curved sword and in his right hand he holds another one:

• On the left there is the thousandth of minting while the mint symbol varies depending on the version. In the version from 1999 to 2006 there is an “M” indicating the symbol of Mint Director Makkonen Raimo.
• In the 2007 coin the “M” disappears to give way to a stylized cornucopia with a cascade of coins. Under the tip of the sword instead the symbol “FI” that precisely indicates Finland.
• In the 1-cent coin Finland from 2008 to 2010 the mint symbol is the same but moved under the hilt of the sword.
• Finally in the one from 2011 onwards the mint symbol changes and becomes a heraldic lion in a circle located to the right of the largest lion.

All around, for all coins, there are of course the 12 five-pointed stars representing the European states.

On the reverse side, the usual Common Face for all 1 eurocent coins.

Let’s see now the technical characteristics

Specifications of the Finnish 1-cent Euro coin

• Materials: The material used for this coin is steel plated with copper (steel 94.35% – copper 5.65%).
• Thickness: The thickness is 1.67 mm
• Weight: The weight is 2.30 grams
• Diameter: The diameter is 16.25 mm
• Outline: The contour is completely smooth
• Engraver: Heikki Haivajoa

Value and circulation of 1 cent Finland Euro Coins

---

2 Cents Euro Finland Coin

The second coin we are going to deal with is the 2 cents Euro Finland. Also in this case the author is the same or Heikki Haivajoa.

On the obverse side, the coin depicts the heraldic lion, symbol of Finland, with a sword under his feet and another in his right hand. Also for this coin, however, we speak of different versions which differ from each other in the details and their placement:

• The coin from 1999 to 2006 shows, for example, the mintmaster’s symbol ‘M’ immediately below the sword hilt at the bottom and the year of minting on the left.
• The 2007 coin, on the other hand, features a cornucopia filled with gold close to the thousandth of a coin instead of the mint master’s symbol and the inscription ‘FI’ on the tip of the sword at the bottom. “FI” of course stands for Finland.
• The coin from 2008 to 2010 shows the mint symbol indicated as a cornucopia filled with gold. This is placed under the hilt of the sword at the bottom.
• Finally, the last coin, from 2012 onwards, has a new mint symbol to replace the first one. It is a Heraldic Lion placed in a circle to the right of the big lion.

All around, for all the coins, there are the 12 five-pointed stars symbolising the European States.

The reverse is represented by the Common Face, the same for all 2 euro cent European coins.

Let’s better analyze the technical specifications of this currency.

Specifications of the Finnish 2-cent Euro coin

• Materials: Also in this case the material is steel plated with copper (steel 94.35% – copper 5.65%)
• Thickness: The thickness is always 1.67 mm
• Weight: Weight increases to 3.06 grams
• Diameter: The diameter is 18.75 mm
• Outline: The contour is characterized by an incused horizontal thread
• Engraver: Heikki Haivajoa

Value and circulation of 2 cents Finland Euro Coins

---

5 Cents Euro Finland Coin

We come to the third coin in this collection, the 5-cent coin from Finland. Also for this one the author is Heikki Haivajoa.

At the obverse the coin shows as those seen so far the representation of the heraldic lion official symbol of Finland. The lion holds a sword in his right hand and another under his lower legs.

There are of course different versions of the coin:

• As far as the one from 1999 to 2006 is concerned, the thousandth of minting is placed to the left of the lion while the symbol of the mint director “M” is placed under the hilt of the sword at the bottom.
• The 2007 coin bears the word ‘FI’, meaning Finland, under the tip of the sword at the bottom. In this case, the “M” disappears and the Cornucopia appears near the thousandth of a coin.
• The coin from 2008 to 2010 shows the Cornucopia with a cascade of coins under the hilt of the sword at the bottom.
• Finally, the coin from 2011 onwards has, instead of the cornucopia, a heraldic lion in a circle but placed to the right of the largest lion.

As always, the 12 five-pointed stars representing the European states are all around.

On the reverse side, the coins are like the other 5 euro cent European coins, with the Common Face.

But let’s get to the technical characteristics:

Specifications of the Finnish 5-cent Euro coin

• Materials: Once again the material is steel plated with copper (steel 94.35% – copper 5.65%)
• Thickness: Thickness remains 1.67 mm
• Weight: Weight increases even further to 3.92 grams
• Diameter: The diameter is 21.25 mm
• Outline: The contour is completely smooth
• Engraver: Heikki Haivajoa

Value and circulation of 5 cents Finland Euro Coins

Among these coins we point out the 5 euro cents Finland 2001 which have a value equal to the face value, contrary to what many people think, they are not a rare coin but very common. The rarest euro coins in Finland between 5 cents are those of 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018.

---

10 Cents Euro Finland Coin

We have therefore arrived at the 10 cents euro coin Finland. For this reason, we are always talking about the same author, Heikki Haivajoa.

The coin depicts the heraldic lion, which is the official symbol of Finland, on the obverse side. As always, it holds a sword in its right hand and another under its lower legs.

Also for this coin it is necessary to make a subdivision according to the year of minting.

• In particular, the coin minted between 1999 and 2006 shows the thousandth of a coin to the left of the lion and below, under the hilt, the symbol of the mint director “M”.
• The coin minted in 2007 renounces the “M” and has, under the tip of the sword at the bottom, the word “FI” indicating precisely Finland. It also introduces a new mint symbol, a Cornucopia placed before the thousandth of minting on the left.
• The coin was minted between 2008 and 2010. The Cornucopia, with a cascade of stylized coins, is inserted under the hilt of the sword at the bottom.
• Finally, from 2011 onwards, the coin shows, instead of the cornucopia, a smaller lion inserted in a circle as a mint symbol. This is located to the right of the big lion.

All around, for all the coins mentioned, there are, of course, the 12 five-pointed stars, symbol of the European States.

On the reverse side:

• The First Series 1999/2006 has the old Common Face with the Eurozone countries represented separately and well spaced out from each other.
• The Second Series 2007/2019 changes the Common Face in favour of a version with all the countries of the Euro Zone

Let’s see together now the technical characteristics.

Specifications of the Finnish 10-cent Euro coin

• Materials: The material used is Nordic Gold consisting of 89% copper, 5% zinc, 5% aluminum and 1% tin
• Thickness: The thickness is 1.93 mm
• Weight: Weight is 4.10 g
• Diameter: The diameter is 19.75 mm
• Outline: The contour is grooved with thick knurling
• Engraver: Heikki Haivajoa

Value and circulation of 10 cents Finland Euro Coins

---

20 Cents Euro Finland Coin

The next denomination to be dealt with is the 20 cents euro coin from Finland. Also for this we speak of Heikki Haivajoa as an author.

On the obverse side, the coin also shows the crowned lion holding a sword in his right hand and another lying under his paws.

• In the version that goes from 1999 to 2006 on the left of the lion is placed the thousandth of minting while under the hilt of the sword at the bottom of the “M” indicating the mint director.
• As far as the coin minted in 2007 is concerned, on the left, under the tip of the sword, there is the inscription “FI” indicating Finland and instead of the M there is, before the thousandth of minting, a Cornucopia.
• Further changes can be seen in the currency from 2008 to 2010. In this case the Cornucopia with a stylized cascade of coins and placed under the hilt of the sword.
• Finally, in the coin from 2011 onwards the cornucopia disappears completely to make room for a heraldic lion in a circle placed this time to the right of the main lion.

For all coins there are 12 five-pointed stars representing the European countries.

On the reverse:

• The First Series, 1999/2006, uses for the Common Face a map depicting the countries of the Euro Zone spaced out from each other.
• The Second Series, 2007/2019, uses a new version of the map with the Eurozone countries symbolically united.

Specifications of the Finnish 20-cent Euro coin

But let’s move on immediately to the technical peculiarities:

• Materials: Also in this case the material is Nordic Gold (copper 89% – aluminium 5% – zinc 5% – tin 1%)
• Thickness: Thickness increases to 2.14 mm
• Weight: Weight increases to 5.74 g
• Diameter: The diameter increases to 22.25 mm
• Outline: The contour is a wide knurling
• Engraver: Heikki Haivajoa

Value and circulation of 20 cents Finland Euro Coins

Among these coins we point out the 20 cents Finland 2001 which have a value equal to the face value, unlike what many people think, is not a rare coin but a very common one. The rarest of the 20 Finnish cents are those of 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

---

50 Cents Euro Finland Coin

So let’s get to the 50 cent coin Euro Finland. Also for this the author remains the same or Heikki Haivajoa.

On the obverse, the 50 cent euro finland coin depicts a beautiful representation of the Heraldic Lion, the symbol of Finland, holding a sword in his right hand and another lying under his paws.

Even for this denomination we are forced to make distinctions based on the year of minting:

• For the coin minted from 1999 to 2006 we find in fact the thousandth of minting placed on the left of the lion while below, under the hilt of the sword, the letter “M” indicating the symbol of the mint director.
• In the 2007 coin, however, the “M” disappears and we find instead under the tip of the sword at the bottom of the initials “FI” indicating Finland. This was inserted following the order of the European Union to insert in the coins the full name of the nation or its abbreviation. Also appears a new mint symbol a Cornucopia full of gold with coins cascade. before the thousandth of minting on the left.
• The coin minted between 2008 and 2010 sees the cornucopia inserted under the hilt of the sword at the bottom.
• Finally, the last coin, the 2011 one, features a Lion inserted inside a circle to the right of the big lion.

As far as all coins are concerned, there are always 12 five-pointed stars representing the European countries.

On the reverse side:

• The 1st Series, which runs from 1999 to 2006, presents the Common Face with the map of the countries of the Euro Zone separated from each other.
• The 2nd Series, which runs from 2007 to 2019, presents a new version of the map, which sees the Eurozone countries symbolically united among themselves.

Specifications of the Finnish 50-cent Euro coin

Let’s analyze together the technical characteristics of this coin:

• Materials: The material for this coin also continues to be the Nordic Gold (89% copper, 1% tin, 5% aluminum and 5% zinc).
• Thickness: The thickness is at 2.38 mm
• Weight: Weight increases to 7.80 g
• Diameter: The diameter is 24.25 mm
• Outline: The contour is grooved with thick knurling
• Engraver: Heikki Haivajoa

Value and circulation of 50 cents Finland Euro Coins

The 50 cents Finnish Euro coins of 2000 have a value equal to the face value even if they are an uncommon piece of coin. Then, the rarest 50 cents of Euro Finland are those from 2013 onwards. The one with the highest value is the minting of the year 2014.

---

1 Euro Finnish Coin

Here we are with the penultimate coin of this wonderful collection. The coin to be dealt with now is the one from 1 Euro Finland.

The author in this case changes completely as we speak of Pertti Makinen.

In the Obverse we can see the representation of two swans in flight. Specifically, this image was chosen after a competition to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Finland’s independence.

Also for this coin there are distinctions to be made according to the year of minting:

• The coin minted between 1999 and 2006 shows the year of minting at the bottom and on the left the symbol of the mint director “M”.
• The 2007 coin has on the right, under the two swans in flight, the words “FI” which means precisely Finland. Instead of the M we can find as a mint symbol the Cornucopia with a cascade of coins placed in the outer ring of the coin on the left.
• As for the coin from 2008 to 2010, the Cornucopia moves and is placed on the right immediately under the head of one of the two swans.
• Finally, from 2011 onwards the coin changes again the symbol of the mint and instead of the cornucopia, placed in the same point of the latter, appears a heraldic lion inserted into a circle.

As with the other coins, they also have the 12 five-pointed stars representing the European countries.

On the reverse side:

• First Series, which runs from 1999 to 2006, proposes the Common Face with the map of the Euro Zone States all separated from each other.
• The second series, which runs from 2007 to 2019, proposes a new version of the map, with all the Eurozone countries united without distances.

Specifications of the Finnish 1 Euro coin

But let’s see the technical specifications:

• Materials: As for this coin we are talking about a double material. The external part in fact consists of nickel-brass, that is 75% copper, 20% zinc and 5% nickel. The inner part is instead of copper-nickel or 75% copper and 25% nickel
• Thickness: The thickness decreases to 2.33 mm
• Weight: Even the weight decreases to 7.50 grams
• Diameter: Same for the diameter which reaches 23.25 mm
• Outline: The contour is striped discontinuously
• Engraver: Pertti Makinen

Value and circulation of 1 Euro Coins from Finland

The 1 euro coin Finland 1999 has a value equal to its face value as it is a common coin, as does the 1 euro coin Finland 2000 (which has the same value).

Finland’s 2001 and 2002 1 euro coins are also common, all with face values. The 1 euro coin Finland 2002 has a slightly higher value as it is not common. Finally, the 1 euro Finland 2006 and 2005 have a face value as they are common.

The rarest Finnish coins among those with a denomination of 1 euro are the Finnish euro from 2014 to 2018, where the one with the highest value is the year 2014 (worth 5.50 €).

---

2 Euro Finnish Coin

We have therefore arrived at the last coin of this collection, the 2 Euro coin from Finland. The author changes again for this coin as we speak of Raimo Heino.

One important thing; remember to look up the commemorative Finnish 2 euro commemorative coins, they can have higher values and quotations.

On the obverse side, the coin shows a representation of the ancient Raspberry “rubus camemorus” with its flowers placed perfectly in the center in the central part of the coin. Below is the thousandth of a coinage.

• In the version from 1999 to 2006, immediately below the raspberry, the symbol of the mint director “M” and the thousandth of minting are placed.
• As far as the 2007 version is concerned, instead of the “M”, we find a Cornucopia on the left between the stars, in the crown of the bimetallic coin. In addition, the word ‘FI’ appears, indicating Finland.
• In the version from 2008 to 2010, the Cornucopia with a cascade of stylized coins is placed under the flower on the left in the central round of the coin.
• Finally, in the latest version, that of 2011, exactly in place of the cornucopia we can see a heraldic lion inserted into a circle.

The outer ring of the coin depicts the 12 five-pointed stars that symbolise the European Union.

On the reverse side:

• The First Series (1999/2006): The Common Face with the map of the Eurozone States separated and spaced out from each other.
• The Second Series (2007/2019): The Common Face changes and the new version of the map shows all the Eurozone countries united without distances between them.

Specifications of the Finnish 2 Euro coin

Let’s see now the technical characteristics.

• Materials: Bimetallic. Outer part: copper-nickel (copper 75% – nickel 25%); inner part nickel-brass (copper 75% – zinc 20% – nickel 5%).
• Thickness: The thickness is slightly reduced compared to the previous coin reaching 2.20 mm
• Weight: Weight increases significantly to 8.50 g
• Diameter: The diameter is 25.75 mm
• Outline: The contour is finely knurled with three lion heads and the words SUOMI FINLAND
• Engraver: Raimo Heino

Value and circulation of 2 Euro Coins from Finland

In the table there are two types of 2 Euro coins Finland 2006 that have different runs and values. One has the old map of Europe, the other has the new map of the united European States and is classified as Rare, worth more.

The following coins are common: 2 euro Finland 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006. which have a face value. Not common is the 1 euro Finland of 2003, which is twice the face value. The rarest 2 Finnish euros are those from 2006, which are worth 10 euros.

---

Want to see more coins from the Euro collection?

• Two pages you can’t miss: 2 Euro Commemorative Coins and Rare Euro Coins
• The precious Vatican euro coins can be seen here and also the San Marino euro coins
• Here you can see the Malta euro coins and here the Cyprus euro coins.
• Euro coins from Germany can be found here and Euro coins from Estonia and Latvia Euro Coins here.
• Euro coins from France can be found here, as well as Euro coins from Austria.
• Also of great interest are the euro coins from Greece and the euro coins of Luxembourg.
• Here you will find Lithuania Euro coins and Andorra Euro coins
• We also talked about Slovenian Euro coins and Slovakia Euro coins.
• Check also Spanish Euro Coins here and Euro Coins of Portugal here.
• The Netherlands euro coins can be found here and the Ireland euro coins here.
• All precious Monaco Euro coins are here and Belgium Euro coins here