The coin's design resembles a stylised pillar from which ten sprouts grow upwards. This is a metaphorical theme: The ten sprouts represent the growth of the European Union (i.e., the 2004 enlargement which added ten new member states), while the pillar represents the foundation for the growth. Near the bottom of the coin, below the pillar, the word EU is written, and together with the right side of the pillar, representing the Greek small letter "ρ" (rho), it reads "euro". The twelve stars of the European Union adorn the outer ring together with the year mark, which is at the top of the ring