Introduction
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Vatican City (Holy See)
Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
| Borders | Italy 3.2 km |
| Economy | Population: 932 (July 2006 est.) |
Vatican Euro Coins
The coinage of coins from the Vatican is strictly related to the temporal power of the Popes. It started with the Papal States from 754 to 1870, and followed by the State of the Vatican City up to now. In 2001, even if the Vatican City does not belong to the Economic and Monetary Union, it was granted the right to mint their own euro coins. Having coins with the effigy of a religious leader accepted as legal tender caused some controversy in certain countries such as France. Please take a look at The Vatican Currency History.
| EUR 0.01 | EUR 0.02 | EUR 0.05 |
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| Portrait of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, | ||
| EUR 0.10 | EUR 0.20 | EUR 0.50 |
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| Portrait of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, | ||
| EUR 1.00 | EUR 2.00 | |
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| Portrait of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, | ||
