Italian euro coins all have a design unique to each coin, though there is a common theme of famous Italian works of art from one of Italy's renowned artists. 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 and the overlapping letters "RI" for Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic). 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.
The choice of the design of the coins was left to the Italian public by means of a TV 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 (now President of the Italian Republic), then Economy minister, had already decided it would spot the Vitruvian man of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo's work is highly symbolical 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 president Ciampi observed, this represents the "coin to the service of Man", instead of Man to the service of money.
For images of the common side and a detailed description of the coins, see Euro coins.
| € 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 |
The Colosseum in Rome, famous Roman amphitheatre |
| The Birth of Venus by painter Sandro Botticelli |
The futurist sculpture Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni |
The equestrian statue of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius |
| The edge lettering features the number "2" six times alternated with ** for a total of 12 stars |
||
| Vitruvian Man, drawing by Leonardo da Vinci |
Portrait of Dante Alighieri by painter Raphael |
