O nouă monedă comemoraivă din Vatican - 31.07.2025

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Vatican City has issued another new coin from its 2024 issue, this time a gold coin with a face value of 20 euros dedicated to commemorating the 95th anniversary of the historic signing of the Lateran Pacts, a pivotal and solemn moment in the history of relations between the Italian State and the Holy See.

The Lateran Pacts: Birth of the Vatican City State

On February 11, 1929, the Lateran Pacts were signed, a historic agreement between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy, which ended decades of conflict between the two entities and gave rise to the Vatican City State, recognized as an independent sovereign entity.

The agreement was signed at the Lateran Palace in Rome by Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Secretary of State to Pope Pius XI, and Benito Mussolini, representing King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. The pact consisted of three main documents:

Treaty: It recognized the full sovereignty of the Holy See over the territory of the new Vatican City State. In return, the Pope recognized the Kingdom of Italy and its capital in Rome, thus renouncing any territorial claim to the city.

Financial Agreement: Established financial compensation for the Holy See for the loss of the Papal States in 1870, putting an end to the so-called "Roman Question."

Concordat: Regulated relations between the Catholic Church and the Italian state, guaranteeing religious freedoms and the recognition of ecclesiastical marriages, as well as the Church's right to operate educational and religious institutions in Italy.

With the signing of the Lateran Pacts, the Catholic Church consolidated its political and territorial independence, allowing the Pope to exercise his spiritual authority without interference from the civil authorities. The new microstate of the Vatican, with a land area of just 44 hectares, became the administrative and spiritual center of the Catholic Church worldwide.

In 1984, a new Concordat between Italy and the Holy See replaced the 1929 agreement, adapting bilateral relations to the republican and secular context of contemporary Italy, while maintaining recognition of the Vatican as a sovereign state.

Obverse

At the center of the composition, above the silhouette of Vatican City, we see the coat of arms of Pope Francis, with the classic papal symbols: the tiara, the crossed keys, and the Jesuit emblem (IHS, rays, and nails). Surrounding the central design is the Latin legend: "FRANCISCVS PP. ANNO XII MMXXIV," and just to the top left of the shield appears Francis's papal motto: "MISSERANDO ATQUE ELIGENDO" (He looked upon him with mercy and chose him).

Reverse

On the other hand, in the center of the reverse, the artist Daniela Longo chose to place a profile bust of Pope Pius XI, a protagonist of the delicate diplomatic process that culminated in the signing of the Lateran Pacts in 1929, at the center of the composition. To the right of the portrait are an olive branch, a symbol of peace, and the stylized signature of Pius XI. Surrounding the composition are the inscriptions: "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City), "1929–2024", the years marking the 95th anniversary of the signing of the pacts, and "95° PATTI LATERANENSI" (95th anniversary of the Lateran Pacts). The face value of the coin, "20 EURO", is indicated in the lower left corner, and slightly higher on the right is the letter "R", the mark of the Roman Mint.

Characteristics of the currency

Country: Vatican City
Year of issue: 2024
Coinage: IPZS (Italy)
Quality: Proof
Diameter: 21 mm
Face value: 20 Euro
Design: Daniela Longo
Metal and purity: Gold 917
Weight: 6 g
Maximum print run: 1,300

The selling price of this coin in the Vatican is €720.

 

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