The €1 and €2 coins show the emblem of the federal eagle, the symbol of German sovereignty. They were designed by Heinz and Snechana Russewa-Hoyer. The edge lettering on the €2 coin consists of the words 'EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT' (unity, justice and freedom) and the design of the federal eagle.
The 10, 20 and 50-cent coins show the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, a symbol of the unification of Germany, and were designed by Reinhart Heinsdorff.
The 1, 2 and 5-cent coins show the German oak twig, a motif found on the former German pfennig coins, and were designed by Rolf Lederbogen.