…also known as "What has it got in its pocketses?"

This being the first weekend of the year, I find my pockets weighed down by change accumulated over the Christmas break. To be precise, I have 39 coins of various denominations, from nine different euro zone countries.

15 of the 39 – 38% – are from the country where I live, Belgium, and feature King Albert II looking firmly to the left. I have at least one Belgian euro coin in all eight denominations.

The next largest group of 10 coins – just over 25% – is from France, one of our neighbouring countries. The €2 and €1 coins feature the tree of liberty, the 20c and 50c coins a stylised sower, and the 5c coins a slightly theatrical Marianne.

Germany is also a neighbouring country and the biggest economy of the euro zone, but I have only five German coins: the 1 German eagle, the 50c Brandenburg gate, and three oak twig coppers.

I was slightly surprised that Spain, Italy and Austria came next; I was in Spain briefly in October, but I haven't been to Austria in over a year and Italy in even longer, so I guess this represents coins in circulation in Brussels. Peace campaigner Bertha von Suttner looks out from two Austrian €2 pieces; the Italian €1 coin celebrates Leonardo and the 50c Marcus Aurelius; and King Juan Carlos adorns the Spanish €2 coin with the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on the 1c piece.

Finally we have three rulers of three different countries: one dead, the Greek leader Ioannis Capodistrias on the 20 cent (or as it defiantly informs us the 20 λεπτά) piece; and two living monarchs on their respective states' 10c pieces, a rather stylised Queen Beatrix and a slightly more recognisable Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. (Again, I am slightly surprised that I do not have more currency from these last two neighbouring states.)

So, fellow euro-zone inhabitants: what have you got in your pockets?