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'Italian euro coins' have a design unique to each denomination, 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 ex-President of the Italian Republic), then Economy minister, had already decided it would sport 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.

Contents

€2 commemorative coins

External links

€2 commemorative coins

Main articles: €2 commemorative coins

External links

★ European Central Bank - Information about the Italian euro coins

★ Banca d'Italia

★ The Euro Information Website- Italy