Estonians voting by telephone have selected an artistic depiction of the country's contour as the national side of the euro coin, the Bank of Estonia announced Wednesday.

A total of 27.6 per cent of the Estonians taking part in the telephone vote picked the design by Estonian designer Lembit Lohmus to be minted on the reverse side of the coin, which Estonia expects to adopt by January 1, 2007.

"The silhouette of Estonia is memorable and something that is common to all of the people who live here," the winning artist Lohmus told a press conference.

"It's attractive and easy to remember."

The EU monetary affairs commissioner Joaquin Almunia, on a visit to Estonia, said the method of picking the appearance of the national side of the euro coin helped people improve their understanding of the European currency.

"It's a good method to use public consultation," Almunia told AFP. "Perhaps other countries may also adopt this method, which to our knowledge was used for the first time here in Estonia."

An expert panel drawn up by the Bank of Estonia picked ten designs submitted to a competition and put them on a telephone vote, in which more than 45,000 people participated.

Estonia joined the EU in May and became a NATO member in March.