10 Euros Richard Wagner

Issued to mark the bicentenary of Wagner's birth, this coin appeared in a year when Germany minted both a silver and a copper-nickel version of the same design — the KN suffix on the Jaeger reference distinguishes this base-metal circulation strike from its .625 fine silver counterpart. Wagner remains a genuinely contested figure for a commemorative program: his virulent antisemitic writings, particularly Das Judenthum in der Musik, made the decision to honor him publicly uncomfortable enough that the issue drew press criticism on release.

The copper-nickel pieces were distributed through normal banking channels rather than collector sets, meaning circulated examples are easily found.