(ATHENS NEWS AGENCY) The design submitted by the  Bank of Greece mint, the work of sculptor George Stamatopoulos, has been chosen for a commemorative two-euro coin to be issued by all Eurozone countries in 2009 to mark 10 years since the circulation of the euro. The winning design was announced by the European Commission on Monday and was chosen by EU citizens through an Internet vote.

The anniversary coin will go into circulation in January 2009 and was chosen by voters among five finalist designs selected by the directors of European mints among 42 designs originally submitted. The winning design received 41,48 percent of the vote, in which more than 141,500 people took part.

According to a Commission announcement, the commemorative coin for the 10th anniversary since the creation of the euro symbolises the long history of trade, from pre-historic barter – evoked by the deliberately primitive design – to Economic and Monetary Union, while roughly 90 million copies of the coin will be minted.

European Central Bank: Commemorating 10 years of Economic and Monetary Union!; European Commission: The winning design of the new euro coin; International Herald Tribune: Europeans pick Greek sculptor’s new euro coin design in online poll