Italian euro coins have a design unique to each denomination, though there is a common theme of famous Italian works of art throughout history. Each coin is designed by a different designer, from the 1 cent to the 2 euro coin they are: Eugenio Driutti, Luciana De Simoni, Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini, Claudia Momoni, Maria Angela Cassol, Roberto Mauri, Laura Cretara and Maria Carmela Colaneri. All designs feature the 12 stars of the EU, the year of imprint, the overlapping letters "RI" for Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic) and the letter R for Rome.[1] There are no Italian euro coins dated earlier than 2002, even though they were certainly minted earlier, as they were first distributed to the public in December 2001.

History

The choice of the design of the coins was left to the Italian public by means of a television broadcast where alternative designs were presented, letting the people vote by calling a certain telephone number. However, the 1 euro coin was missing in this election, because Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the then economy minister, had already decided it would sport the Vitruvian man of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo's work is highly symbolic as it represents the Renaissance focus on man as the measure of all things, and has simultaneously a round shape that fits the coin perfectly. As Ciampi observed, this represents the "coin to the service of Man", instead of Man to the service of money.

Italian euro design

For images of the common side and a detailed description of the coins, see euro coins.

Depiction of Italian euro coinage | Obverse side
€0.01 €0.02 €0.05
The Castel del Monte, a 13th-century castle in Apulia Mole Antonelliana, a tower symbolising the city of Turin See the image on Italian Wikipedia
Castel del Monte, a 13th-century castle in Andria Mole Antonelliana, a tower symbolising the city of Turin Colosseum, famous Roman amphitheater
€0.10 €0.20 €0.50
The Birth of Venus by painter Sandro Botticelli See the image on Italian Wikipedia The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli Futurist sculpture Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius
€1.00 €2.00 €2 Coin Edge
Vitruvian Man Dante Alighieri for a total of 12 stars
Vitruvian Man, a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet, writer and philosopher, considered the father of the Italian language

Circulating mintage quantities

Face Value[2] €0.01 €0.02 €0.05 €0.10 €0.20 €0.50 €1.00 €2.00
2002 1,348,599,501 1,098,866,250 1,341,442,204 1,142,083,000 1,411,536,000 1,136,418,000 965,725,300 463,402,200
2003 9,637,000 21,555,000 1,844,000 29,714,000 25,893,000 44,563,000 66,230,000 36,098,000
2004 99,925,000 119,925,000 9,925,000 4,925,000 4,925,000 4,925,000 4,925,000 6,925,000
2005 179,943,900 119,943,900 69,943,900 99,943,900 4,943,900 4,943,900 4,943,900 61,943,900
2006 158,951,700 195,951,700 118,951,700 179,951,700 4,951,700 4,951,700 107,951,700 9,951,700
2007 214,953,000 139,953,000 84,953,000 104,953,000 4,953,000 4,953,000 134,953,000 4,953,000
2008 180,000,000 135,000,000 90,000,000 105,000,000 5,000,000 5,000,000 135,000,000 2,500,000
2009 174.952.000 184.952.000 84.952.000 105.952.000 59.952.000 2.452.000 114.952.000 1.952.000
2010 125.448.100 120.243.400 67.618.100 91.328.400 57.787.000 9.209.800 96.533.100 5.788.100
2011 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

* No coins were minted that year for that denomination
** Data not available yet
*** Small quantities minted for sets only

Identifying marks

National Identifier RI
Engravers Initials Different for each coin
€2 Edge inscription

€2 commemorative coins

See also

References

  1. ↑ Eurocoins in Italy
  2. ↑ "Circulating mintage quantities". Henning Agt. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
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