Euro Cache Geocoin

          Please try to visit all member nations that use the euro and any nearby neighbors.  As this represents a form of currency, be sure to attend events held where you might be making purchases . . . food or beverage.  Please keep me moving and post pictures of all my adventures.

            The One Euro Geocache Geocoin looks like a fictional 1 Euro Banknote. This beautiful coin is gold in color, 1” x 2” in size, and displays 15 flags of member nations on both sides of hands shaking in greeting.  On the right third of the face of the coin is a geocaching symbol and the tracking code.

            On the back side of the coin, another geocaching symbol is displayed as well as the stylized letter “e” used on euro currency.  Additionally, colorful designs embellish the coin.

According to Wikipedia, the euro is the official currency of 19 of the 28 member states of the European Union.  The euro is the second largest and second most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar.  It is divided into 100 cents.  The name euro was officially adopted on 16 December 1995 in Madrid.  Physical euro coins and banknotes entered into circulation on 1 January 2002, making it the day-to-day operating currency of its original members, and by March 2002 it had completely replaced the former currencies.

            The euro (sign: €; code: EUR) is the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union and is the official currency of the eurozone, which consists of 18 of the 28 member states of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.  It has the highest combined value of banknotes and coins in circulation in the world, having surpassed the U.S. dollar.

            The changeover period during which the former currencies' notes and coins were exchanged for those of the euro lasted about two months, until 28 February 2002. The official date on which the national currencies ceased to be legal tender varied from member state to member state. The earliest date was in Germany, where the mark officially ceased to be legal tender on 31 December 2001, though the exchange period lasted for two months more. Even after the old currencies ceased to be legal tender, they continued to be accepted by national central banks for periods ranging from several years to forever (the latter in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Estonia and Latvia for banknotes and coins. Also, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Slovakia will accept banknotes forever, but not coins). The earliest coins to become non-convertible were the Portuguese escudos, which ceased to have monetary value after 31 December 2002, although banknotes remain exchangeable until 2022.

            The rates were determined by the Council of the European Union, based on a recommendation from the European Commission based on the market rates on 31 December 1998. They were set so that one European Currency Unit (ECU) would equal one euro. The European Currency Unit was an accounting unit used by the EU, based on the currencies of the member states; it was not a currency in its own right. They could not be set earlier, because the ECU depended on the closing exchange rate of the non-euro currencies (principally the pound sterling) that day.

            The euro sign is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the European Union and some non-EU countries. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E, crossed by two lines instead of one. The character is encoded in Unicode at U+20AC € EURO SIGN. In English, the sign precedes the value. In some style guides, the euro sign is not spaced.