In February the first 2008 German €10 piece will be issued, honoring the artist Carl Spitzweg. Here is some information about the design competition. (See http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?showtopic=10131 for the other 2008/2009 themes.)

Spitzweg was a German/Bavarian artist then born 200 years ago. The ironical painting "The Poor Poet" http://www.carl-spitzweg.de/Galerie/Bilder...spitzweg001.jpg is probably his most famous work. And in a somewhat "reduced" or abstract version it will also be featured on the coin.





Design Competition - Overview
http://www.bbr.bund.de/cln_005/nn_21470/DE...g/Spitzweg.html

Winning Design: Hannes Dauer
The winning design (depicted above) shows core elements of the Poor Poet painting. The federal eagle on the other side is, similarly, not very detailed but has a partly 2D, partly relief appearance.
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg

Second Prize: Erich Ott
Ott also shows the Poor Poet, in a more conventional way. The idea to put the scene in an oval was also used on the Mörike coin designed by him and issued in 2004.
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg

Third Prize: Elvira Fath
This design shows a combination of Spitzweg's "Sunday Walk" and his portrait. The jury praised the design but criticized that the portrait shows Spitzweg at a very different time/age than when the painting was made.
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg

Fourth Prize: Erich Ott
Note that the name of the designer, and the side with the eagle, are the same as those of the second prize. This time Ott uses a Spitzweg portrait, and again puts the little bird (see 2nd prize), as a reference to Spitzweg's works, at the bottom.
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg
http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg

Christian

One of those scarce times when the selected coin matched what I would have chosen.

That is a nice looking coin I cant say that I realy like Euros as a rule but this is a nice one taken with the ones for Cyprus things are looking up

Collector coins like this one will hardly ever show up in circulation. You need to pick such pieces up at a bank, and unlike the "real" coins, they are legal tender in the issuing member state only. On the other hand, the nice thing is that Germany and some other euro countries issue those silver coins at face value. So you pay €10, get a €10 coin - and if you actually lose interest later, you can always spend it (provided that you find a place that accepts them ) or just take it to a bank ...

Christian

Have to say that I am tempted by this one and as we go to Germany at least once a year spending it wouldnt be a problem LOL