Vatican Euro Coins
The Vatican was one of the founding members of the Euro zone and started issuing coins in 2002. Some basic facts relating to the Vatican.
The Vatican Euro Coins are interesting for several reasons. Learn which motif may never be used again on the standard - (non commemoative) Vatican Coins.
The Vatican is one of the four states (the others are Andorra, Monaco and San Marino) that , although in the Euro zone are not in the European Union. The inclusion of the Vatican in the Euro zone was deemed necessary as it was prior to the introduction of the Euro in a currency union with Italy.
The Vatican is also the smallest 'country' in the Euro zone (indeed in the world), with a total area of less than half a square kilometer and a live-in population of less than 1000.
Of all the Euro coins issued, those of the Vatican more than any others are minted with collectors in mind rather than for normal commercial usage. The number of coins minted being small, the collector value is relatively high.
Initially the face-value of the coins minted was around € 600.000 to € 700.000. In 2004 this was increased to around € 1 million
The European Union wished to limit the high cost of the coins issued by the Vatican and in 2010 an agreement with the Vatican was reached whereby 51% of the face value of the issued coins were to go into normal circulation. This was coupled with an increase in the face-value that could be minted to € 2.300.000. The value of the Vatican sets was however not too greatly effected as about €1 million worth was issued as 50 cent coins - this meaning of course that the number of the other values minted did not increase dramatically.
Normal Currency Coins
Vatican Euro Coins have as their motif the incumbent pope. In 2005 however, after the death of pope John Paul II and before the election of pope Benedict XVI, a 'mini-series' with the title "Sede Vacante"(Seat Vacant) was minted. Here the Coat of Arms of the Cardinal Chamberlain was the Motif. This is in effect a one-off series as in the future should no pope be in office at the time of minting the European Union has decided that this can only be reflected in the € 2 commemorative coin.
Pope Benedict abdicated in 2013 and as from 2014 a new Vatican series depicting the new pope - Franziskus - is being minted.
A fifth series, first issued in March 2017, shows the coat of arms of the Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis.
The Vatican now has the largest number of series of any of the countries in the Euro Zone.
The Vatican has thus in effect five series:
- 2002-2004 Pope John Paul II
- 2005 Sede Vacante
- 2006-2013 Pope Benedict XVI
- From 2014 Pope Franziskus
- From March 2017 Coat of Arms of Vatican Soverign - Pope Francis
Pope John Paul II |
Sede Vacante |
Pope Benedict XVI |
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Pope Franziskus |
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Two Euro Coin Rim
Around the rim of the Two Euro Coin appear the number "2" followed by "*". This is repeated six times.
Each "2" is inverted with respect to the preceding and following "2".
Vatican Commemorative Two Euro Coins.
2004-75 years since the founding of the Vatican. Depicted is the outline of the Vatican and also St.Peters.
Date of issue : 16.12.2004
Issuing Volume : 100,000
2005 - World Youth day in Cologne. Cologne cathedral and a comet are shown on the coin.
Date of issue : 06.12.2005
Issuing Volume : 100,000
2006 - 500th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Guard. A Swiss Guard is shown taking the oath of allegiance.
Date of issue : 09.11.2006
Issuing Volume : 100,000
2007 - 80th birthday of Pope Benedict XVI.
Date of issue : 23.10.2007
Issuing Volume : 100,000
2008 - Paul Year. Celebrates the conversion of St. Paul around 2000 years ago. Depicted is the conversion on the road to Damascus.
Date of issue : 16.10.2008
Issuing Volume : 100,000
2009- International Year of astronomy. The creation of sun and moon as depicted in Michaelangelo's painting in the Sistine Chapel.
Date of issue : 18.11.2009
Issuing Volume : 8 Million
2010 - Year of the Priests - shown on the coin is a shepherd (priest) rescuing a lamb from a lion.
Date of issue : 12.10.2009
Issuing Volume : 115,000
2011 - World youth day in Madrid.
Date of issue : 18.10.2011
Issuing Volume : 115,000
2012 - World family Meeting in Mailand.
Date of issue : 16.10.2012
Issuing Volume : 8 Million
2013 - Sede Vacante. This means that there is no reigning pope. In this instance between the abdication of one pope and the election of the next.
Date of issue : 02.06.2013
Issuing Volume : 125.000
2013 - World youth day in Rio de Janeiro.
Date of issue : 15.10.2013
Issuing Volume : 94.000
2014 - Commemorating 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Date of issue : 14.10.2014
Issuing Volume : 103.000
2015 - VIII World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
Date of issue : 06.10.2015
Issuing Volume : 122.000
2016 - 200th anniversary of the founding of the Vatican Gendarmeria.
Date of issue : 02.06.2016
Issuing Volume : 105.000
2016 - Holy year of Mercy.
Date of issue : 13.10.2016
Issuing Volume : 105.000
2017 - 1,950 years since the deaths of St. Peter and Paul the Apostle.
Date of issue : 01.06.2017
Issuing Volume : 90,000
2017 - 100 years since the visions of Fatima.
Date of issue : 05.10.2017
Issuing Volume : 105,000
2018 - European Year of Cultural Heritage.
Date of issue : 01.06.2018
Issuing Volume : 86,000
2018 - 50th anniversary of the Death of Pater Pio.
Date of issue : 04.10.2018
Issuing Volume : 94,000
2019 - 90th anniversary of the founding of the Vatican. The Motif shows Pope Pius XI.
Date of issue : 07.05.2019
Issuing Volume : 79,000
2019 - 25th anniversary of the restoration of the Sistine Chapel.
Date of issue : 01.10.2019
Issuing Volume : 79,000
2020 - 100th anniversary of the birth of Pope John Paul II.
Date of issue : 23.06.2020
Issuing Volume : 74,000
2020 - 500th anniversary of the death Raphael.
Date of issue : 16.10.2020
Issuing Volume : 76,000
2021 – 450th anniversaryof the birth of the Italian painter Caravaggio.
Date of issue : 25.06.2021
Issuing Volume : 86.300
2021 – 700th anniversaryof the Death of the Italian poet Dante.
Date of issue : 26.10.2021
Issuing Volume : 83.300
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