11.   The only euro coins circulating here Monday were chocolate ones wrapped in bright yellow foil.

12.   Today, the highest denomination lire notes celebrate Bernini, Caravaggio and Raphael, but the Italian euro coins will depict works by Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci.

13.   Unlike the euro coins, each will otherwise look the same, with no motifs of the individual countries.

14.   Parking officials in southern Finland covered up hundreds of meters and ticket barriers after the machines jammed or rejected new euro coins.

15.   Other nations say that could make minting euro coins more costly, especially since some want to recycle existing national coins as euros.

16.   A counterfeit euro coin described as a fairly convincing fake has been found in Naples, Italian police said Thursday.

17.   A decision on the design of euro coins is expected next year.

18.   After paying in euros at a supermarket in the underground Termini train station, she was told euro coins had run out.

19.   After forming a euro symbol with their bodies, the three acrobats surprised the royals with little plastic packs of euro coins and received handshakes in return.

20.   Analysts cited the publicity surrounding the introduction of euro coins and notes as the year began as a major reason for the upswing in opinion.