2004 AD., Germany, Federal Republic, Enlargement of the European Union commemorative, Karlsruhe mint, 10 Euro, KM 231.

Germany, Federal Republic, Enlargement of the European Union commemorative, engraver: Aase Thorsen, Karlsruhe mint, 2004 AD., issued 06/May/2004 AD.,
10 Euro (ø 32,5 mm / 18,04 g), 0.925 silver, 18,00 g theor. mint weight, mintage 2.100.000 (in total), axes medal alignment ↑↑, plain, immerged lettered edge,
Obv.: BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND / G / EURO 10 2004 , issuer above, mint mark "G", value and date below German national emblem eagle, 12 stars of Europe in a cirle around.
Rev.: ERWEITERUNG DER EUROPÄISCHEN UNION / 1950 SCHUMANPLAN - EG / 1952 EGKS SECHS GRÜNDUNGS MITGLIEDER / 1958 BELGIEN DEUTSCHLAND FRANCE ITALIA LUXEMBURG NEDERLAND / 1973-1981 DANMARK EIRE UNITED KINGDOM EAAAE / 1986-1995 ESPANA PORTUGAL ÖSTERREICH SUOMI SVERIGE / 2004 CESKA REPUBLIKA EESTI CYPRUS LATVIJA LIETUVA MAGYARORSZAG MALTA POLSKA SLOVENIJA SLOVENSKO , the significant stages and dates of the start-up and expansion history of the European Union in circular writing.
Edge: plain with immerged inscription "FREUDE SCHÖNER GÖTTERFUNKEN . " .
KM 231 .

Year / Mint Mark / Mintage
2004 / G / 1,800,000
2004 / G / 300,000 (proof)

The process of expanding the European Union (EU) through the accession of new member states began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Economic Community (the EU's predecessor) in 1958, when the Treaty of Rome came into force. Since then, the EU's membership has grown to twenty-eight, with the latest member state being Croatia, which joined in July 2013.

The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was proposed by Robert Schuman in his declaration on 9 May 1950 and involved the pooling of the coal and steel industries of France and West Germany. Half of the project states, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, had already achieved a great degree of integration between themselves with the organs of Benelux and earlier bilateral agreements. These five countries were joined by Italy and they all signed the Treaty of Paris on 23 July 1952. These six members, dubbed the 'inner six' (as opposed to the 'outer seven' who formed the European Free Trade Association who were suspicious of such plans for integration) went on to sign the Treaties of Rome establishing two further communities, together known as the European Communities when they merged their executives in 1967.

more on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlargement_of_the_European_Union