This happened in Monaco and the Vatican City resulting in three new designs in circulation (the Vatican had an interim design until the new Pope was selected). National designs were not allowed to change until the end of 2008, unless a monarch (whose portrait usually appears on the coins) dies or abdicates. The national sides, then 15 (eurozone + Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican who could mint their own) were each designed according to national competitions, though to specifications which applied to all coins such as the requirement of including twelve stars (see euro coins for more). The design of the 10 to 50 cent coins were intended to show separate states of the European Union (EU), as opposed to the one and two euro coins showing the 15 states as one and the 1 to 5 cent coins showing the EU's place in the world. The common side was designed by Luc Luycx, a Belgian artist who won a Europe-wide competition to design the new coins. The coin dates from 2002, when euro coins and banknotes were introduced in the 12 member eurozone and its related territories. The coin has been used since 2002, with the present common side design dating from 2007. All euro coins have a common reverse side and country-specific national sides.

The 20 euro cent coin (€0.20) has a value of one-fifth of a euro and is composed of an alloy called Nordic Gold in the Spanish flower shape. Map of Europe with the denomination shown in Latin characters Plain but with seven broad indentations consistent with Spanish flower shape of the coin

1999 20 cent euro coin value