Apart from the historic buildings that appear on American currency, architecture gets no love from the U.S. Treasury. Not so in many other countries, which regularly issue coins and bills that feature local buildings and architects of more recent vintage.
Earlier this year, the Dutch Ministry of Finance invited a group of architecture firms and artists to participate in a design competition for a commemorative five-euro coin—known as the "Architecture Fiver" and legal tender within the Netherlands—that would celebrate the country's architectural history. The winning design, shown here, is by graphic designer Stani Michiels and was released in late October. The front contains the names of 109 architects, past and present, rendered in a single line that coils to create the likeness of Queen Beatrix. The back features Dutch architecture books arranged to form an outline of the country.
Learn the process behind the design at Michiels' blog, pythonide.blogspot.com.
