Vatican City, despite being the world’s smallest country, has its own series of euro coins, all of which are legal tender throughout the Eurozone. There have been five distinct series of Vatican City euro coins released into circulation, each reflecting different periods and leadership within the Vatican.
The first series, issued between 2002 and 2005, features the portrait of Pope John Paul II. These coins marked the beginning of Vatican City’s participation in the euro currency system.
The second series, a transitional issue, was released between June 2005 and March 2006. This series is unique as it depicts the coat of arms of the Cardinal Camerlengo, who served as the interim head of state for the Vatican City State during the Sede Vacante period. This coat of arms is placed over the emblem of the Apostolic Chamber at the center of the coin. The inscription “SEDE VACANTE” and the year of issue, “MMV” in Roman numerals, are displayed in a semicircle above the design. The designer’s initials, “D. LONGO,” are visible on the lower left edge of the central design, while the initials of the engravers are on the lower right: “MAC inc” (for 1 and 20 cent coins), “LDS inc” (for 2 and 50 cent coins), “ELF inc” (for 5 cent and 1 euro coins), and “MCC inc” (for 10 cent and 2 euro coins).
The third series, circulating from April 2006 to December 2013, presents the image of Pope Benedict XVI. The designer’s initials, “DL,” are positioned to the left of the portrait. This series replaced the Sede Vacante coins and continued the tradition of featuring the reigning Pope.
The fourth series, first issued in January 2014, showcases the effigy of Pope Francis. This marked another change in the Vatican euro coins, reflecting the new Papacy.
The fifth and current series, which began issuance in March 2017, displays the coat of arms of the Sovereign of Vatican City State, Pope Francis. This series represents the latest design update for Vatican euro coins.
Across all series of Vatican City euro coins, several common elements are present. The twelve stars from the European flag are always included, along with the inscription “CITTÀ DEL VATICANO,” the year of issue, and the mint mark “R.” Notably, the two euro coin (Moneda De Dos Euros) from Vatican City has a distinctive edge lettering. The edge is finely milled and features the inscription “2*,” repeated six times, alternating in orientation from bottom to top and top to bottom. This edge lettering is a key security feature and a recognizable characteristic of the Vatican two euro coin.
