Italy

2011

Commemorative coin

150th anniversary of the unification of Italy

Official Journal of the European Union

The inner part of the coin shows, at the centre, three Italian flags in the wind, representing the three past 50th anniversaries — 1911, 1961 and 2011 — which illustrate a perfect link between generations: this is the logo of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. At the top, the inscription ‘150o DELL’UNITA’ D’ITALIA’ (150th anniversary of the unification of Italy); at the right, the initials of the issuing country ‘RI’ (Republic of Italy); at the bottom, the dates ‘1861 › 2011 › ›’; under the dates, at the centre, the mintmark ‘R’ and at the right, the initials of the artist Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini and the first three letters of the Italian name of his profession (incisore) ‘ELF INC.’ The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

The €2 commemorative coin, designed by Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini, shows three Italian flags, whose sequence of colours is green-white-red (the green stands for la pianura, the plain, nature and landscape, the white for the colour of the Alpine glaciers, the red for the blood shed in the Italian wars of independence) - following the heraldic rules of tingierung - represented by hatching. On 17 March 1861 the Kingdom of Italy became the first Italian nation state. Italy's King Victor Emmanuel II appointed Camillo Benso of Cavour as the first Prime Minister of the new state. In 2010, Italy honoured the important role he played in the creation of the Italian state with a €2 commemorative coin dedicated to him. First Turin became the capital, then Florence in 1864 and then Rome in 1871.

Edge lettering

Designer