10, 20 and 50-cent coins: these depict the royal seal of 1142 as the centrepiece of the design

The European Union before its enlargement on 1 May 2004

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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