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, posted on www.eurodesigncontest.eu, 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. It beat out four other finalists.

The EU executive said the coin's "deliberately primitive" design illustrates how the euro is the latest step in the long history of trade, from prehistoric barter to Europe's monetary union.