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.
Design credit
The Vatican 2 euro coin edge inscription:
| Edge |
![]() |
| The sequence "2 *" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted |
Mintmarks on Vatican euro coins:
| All coins | All coins | 1 and 2 cents | 20 and 50 cents | 5 cents and 1 euro | 10 cents and 2 euros |
| R | ![]() |
||||
| The letter 'R', for Rome | The designer's initials DL (Daniela Longo) | The engraver's initials LDS INC. (Luciana De Simoni) | The engraver's initials ELF INC. (Maria Angela Cassol) | The engraver's initials M.C.C. INC. (Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini) | The engraver's initials MAC INC. (Maria Carmela Colaneri) |
![]() | Vatican 2 euros - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Vatican 1 euro - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Vatican 50 cents - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Vatican 20 cents - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Vatican 10 cents - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Vatican 5 cents - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Vatican 2 cents - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Vatican 1 cent - Portrait of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
|
Greece - 2 drachmas 1973 (Owl)
EUR 1.75
Cyprus - 1 euro 2008 (The Idol of Pomos)
EUR 1.90
Finland - 2 cents 2009 (The heraldic lion of Finland)
EUR 0.20
Italy - 2 euros 2009 (10th anniversary of the EMU and the birth of the euro)
EUR 3.30
Malta - 1 cent 2008 (Altar of prehistoric temple of Imnajdra)
EUR 0.15