Well I have personaly SPENT 5 Euro and 10 Euro Silver 925 coins in Germany.
The EU does make silver Circulation coins, I was sold a parcel of them a while back Took a lot of them to the bank.
Japan has a silver 1000 yen coin that still circulates on occasion, Sometimes the silver value is more than face, sometimes less. there are some silver 10,000 yen coins also, Its great when you can buy them out of junk silver bins from coin dealers and deposit them in Japan at a bank for about $100, some are gold and up to 100,000 yen. Dont circulate widely but still spend and deposit.
here is an auction for a 1986 10,000 yen. They know what they have...hence the $150 price tag for a 2/3oz silver coin... But yes, Picking up $10 silver coins that sell for over 100 is always fun! most Coin dealers cant Read Japanese so they can be an Easy pick!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...fc957cc&itemid=160385649660&ff4=263602_263622
Here is a link to the gold set
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...fc957cc&itemid=200404950034&ff4=263602_263622
There are other Countries where special commemeritives do on occasion circulate.
It would be the same if say a Silver Eagle had a face value of say $10. If silver was lower than ten, ya spend em. if over ten, they trade higher.
Mexico did some silver in the early 90s to jump start the nuevo peso. But finding them is hard, Got snatched up fast.
But anyway, the value of the European Union coins are close to the bullion value. The Euro value is slightly higher than the silver. But usually they are only good in the country of make, and even then most of the people dont know about them, so you have to cash em in at banks. they are .925 Sterling.
Here is some info on them
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_gold_and_silver_commemorative_coins_(Austria)
The new Ameros for the Union Of North America are stamped in gold and silver. I have spent a few of them too!
http://www.dc-coin.com/unaameropatterncoins.aspx
if you want to see Ameros being Struck, as well as gold, check out these youtube vids
http://www.youtube.com/user/jewelerdave#p/a/u/2/B1gr4XncqBQ