Usually, the oldest coins are the most expensive specimens at auctions. However, rarities become extremely popular among collectors and numismatics enthusiasts. Bear in mind that the Euro as a currency began to circulate in 1999. Therefore, it is a relatively new currency since it has only been with us for 25 years.
Another thing you should take into account is that each European country has its own coin obverse, but they share a common reverse. As a matter of fact, 20 countries have replaced their national currencies with the euro, so they have a single currency.
List of countries using the Euro coins
- Austria
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- the Netherlands
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
Valuable rare Euro coins
Even if you cannot find any rare pieces while you are traveling around Europe, you can collect any specimen you come across for your modern currency sets. Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, and Andorra have reached agreements on monetary relations. So, they are permitted to use the Euro. Minting was allowed as well.
Here is the reason why one of the Vatican Euro coins is one of the most sought-after specimens in Europe. It has to do with the Vatican Euro piece with 2 reverses. Instead of having an obverse and a reverse, it has one side showing a 20-cent design and the other one a 50-cent design.
If you happen to have one in your possession, it is worth about $2,875. Another specimen you may want to look for is a 20-cent coin from France. It is known as Republic 20 Euro Cents Reverse Mule and even Heritage Auctions has sold a specimen for $2,500.
It has no heads at all, so you can simply see 2 tails. A third example to highlight is also from France. Once more, it is a minting mistake. In this case, the coin was struck on a planchet for a 20-cent piece. While they should have used a planchet for 1 Euro. It was sold for $920!