Which side of the Euro is heads?

Blisterman · 11-02-2005 12:00AM #1

I always thought it was the side with the map, but some of them have heads on the other side. Which is it? Confusing.

They should have heads and tails written on the coins.

Healio · 11-02-2005 12:03AM

It all goes back to the english coins when the queens head and the lions tail were on either side. Then other cultures adopted the practice of a coin flip, the heads and tails is up to who flips the coin. The Irish coins had the harp on the front, so i would say the harp is the front.

Ciaran500 · 11-02-2005 12:04AM

I'd say the side with the map is the front and therefore heads.

aidan_walsh · 11-02-2005 12:06AM

Wasn't the Irish version "Heads or Harps"? So therefore the map would be the head...

Gone West · 11-02-2005 12:08AM

yes im inclined to go with the "top" side being heads, ie. the map. Even though theres heads on the other side, sometimes. I call it heads or harps.

Healio · 11-02-2005 12:15AM

The harp is the front of the coin!

RE*AC*TOR · 11-02-2005 12:16AM

Generally the old Irish coins had animals - which had heads - so heads or harps was the term used. And therefore I'd call the map side heads now.

impr0v · 11-02-2005 12:19AM

map side.

Gone West · 11-02-2005 12:19AM

this should be an official poll

Creamy Goodness · 11-02-2005 12:21AM

Healio wrote:

The harp is the front of the coin!

shouldn't the front of something always tell you what it is, eg.

20p coin
50p coin
1 euro coin
2 euro coin
5c coin

you get the drift

PlasseyMinstrel · 11-02-2005 12:22AM

The front of any coin is the one that has its value written on it... in this case the side with the map.

By convention, due to old British coins always having a head on the front, the front has become known as heads regardless of what is displayed on it. Head and Harp just changed the word tail to harp, heads didn't come from the animals, it was just continuing in the tradition from the British ones.

Healio · 11-02-2005 12:22AM

All im sayin is the harp was the front of the irish coins, dont believe me?
google it

http://www.eurocoins.co.uk/ireland.html

PlasseyMinstrel · 11-02-2005 12:31AM

That's pretty strange considering the display case shows what they call the reverse side.

Either way the 'heads' refers to that side because the side with the harp obviously corresponds to the old harp because they're almost identical.

It is logical that the side with the value written on it would be deemed the front.

Victor · 11-02-2005 12:35AM

Well they is wrong. The map is on the obverse and the national logos on the reverse.

They actually appear to be called the "common" side / face and "country-specific" side. This site is slightly more official.

http://www.euro.ecb.int/en.html

Common side

The front of each coin has the same design for all 12 countries in the euro area. The reverse side displays different designs for each country, created
by their own national artists. All coins can be used anywhere in the euro area.

Healio · 11-02-2005 12:46AM

-oRnein9- · 11-02-2005 12:52AM

The side that contains the value of the coin and the map of europe is heads no matter what any of these sites say, just go into any pub in Ireland and ask what side of the coin is heads and someone will tell ya the same "FACT".

Healio · 11-02-2005 12:54AM

Im talking about the front of an irish punt coin, so you go into a pub? and you will be told the harp is the front FACT

Shane™ · 11-02-2005 12:57AM

As long as I can remember the front of coin was always at the front, and on the back was the harp. . .

Third_Echelon · 11-02-2005 01:07AM

Healio wrote:

Im talking about the front of an irish punt coin, so you go into a pub? and you will be told the harp is the front FACT

Is this in the backwards ireland where everything is the wrong way around???

Where the hell did you come up with the harp being on the front?

The harp is the BACK of the coin....

Healio · 11-02-2005 01:16AM

not on the old punt coins

Victor · 11-02-2005 01:49AM

Healio wrote:

not on the old punt coins

Healio would appear to correct. The Harp was the front of the £1 coin, as silly as it sounds.

http://www.centralbank.ie/frame_main.asp?pg=ncn_comm.asp&nv=ncn_nav.asp

Blisterman · 11-02-2005 01:52AM

So if you have a euro coin with a head on the tails side, would that make sense?

PlasseyMinstrel · 11-02-2005 02:00AM

Shane&#8482 wrote:

As long as I can remember the front of coin was always at the front

em, thanks for that

Healio · 11-02-2005 02:05AM

Blisterman wrote:

So if you have a euro coin with a head on the tails side, would that make sense?

I never said anything about which is heads or tails i just said the harp is the front.

Victor · 11-02-2005 02:05AM

Blisterman wrote:

So if you have a euro coin with a head on the tails side, would that make sense?

Well, that would be an ecumenical matter.

Healio · 11-02-2005 02:14AM

Victor wrote:

Well, that would be an ecumenical matter.

Dont you mean economical matter

shoot me now

billy the squid · 11-02-2005 02:53AM

The harp- is on the back of the coin its heads or harps for as long as I remember. when I was younger we didnt have pound coins so there were never any arguements as to whether the harp was on the front or the back of the pound coin.

if your still not sure then use an english coin.

Healio · 11-02-2005 03:00AM

it may be heads or harps, but the harp isnt the back of the coin.

PlasseyMinstrel · 11-02-2005 03:03AM

I think it stands to reason that if one side is going to be called 'heads' and the other 'harp' then the one with a picture of a harp on it should be the one called 'harp'!

aidan_walsh · 11-02-2005 03:04AM

Healio wrote:

it may be heads or harps, but the harp isnt the back of the coin.

So the head is actually the tail?

Now my head hurts

Healio · 11-02-2005 03:05AM

PlasseyMinstrel wrote:

I think it stands to reason that if one side is going to be called 'heads' and the other 'harp' then the one with a picture of a harp on it should be the one called 'harp'!

im not disagreeing with you, im just saying the harp is the front of the irish punt coins.

Which side of the Euro is heads?

Comments