depict the royal seal of 1142 as the centrepiece of the design..
show either the European Union before its enlargement on 1 May 2004 or, as of 1 January 2007, a geographical image of Europe. Coins from Italy (including San Marino and the Vatican City), Austria and Portugal show the more recent design only if they are dated “2008” or later.
Three different euro designs were chosen from entries to a national competition. Designer Vítor Manuel Fernandes dos Santos, who drew his inspiration from historical symbols and the seals of the first King of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques, won the competition