http://img318.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild18ga.jpg
The AASFN explains that the depicted 2 euro coin "25 years of Formula 1 in San Marino", and the infomation about it, is a fake. Heck, yes ... it all started out of fun.
In a German coin forum there was a discussion earlier this year about all those pre-auctions of coins that have not been issued yet, about images that the sellers "steal" from other sites, and about the Monaco/San Marino/Vatican hype. So somebody designed a pseudo-coin (using some Formula 1 theme medal), somebody else posted an image like this to the forum ...
http://img323.imageshack.us/my.php?image=marino6yk.jpg
... and wrote, "heck, what is that? A new SM coin?" (The name after "Drawings:" is an allusion to the user name of the designer and the forum.) Others replied that yes, this was probably the new €2 Formula One coin to be issued in 2005, and oh, interesting design, yadda yadda. This went on and on - and yes, it worked.
After a while there were some auctions like this one:http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8329443564
Of course all this was a joke, but apparently some people (possibly those who had already started their auctions ...) contacted the AASFN and asked about this coin. And the result - see above.
Bruhahaha.
Christian
