Vatican

2016

Commemorative coin

The Holy Year of Mercy

Official Journal of the European Union

The national face features St Martin of Tours sharing his cloak with a poor man. The design is surrounded by the inscriptions ‘GIUBILEO DELLA MISERICORDIA’ at the left and ‘CITTÀ DEL VATICANO’ at the right, both in semi-circle. At the right there is as well the year of issuance ‘2016’ and at the bottom the mint mark ‘R’ and the name of the artist ‘M. CRISCIOTTI’. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

The design of the coin commemorating the Holy Year of Mercy shows Martin of Tours (316-397), 331-356 soldier of the Roman Imperial Guard. On horseback, out of mercy, he shares his cloak with the sword and gives one half to an almost unclothed and freezing poor man who met him (at the city gate of Amiens). The following night Jesus Christ is said to have appeared to him in a dream, clothed with that half cloak. In 351 he was baptized, and after his appointment as bishop of Tours in 371, he founded the monastery of Marmoutier. The Frankish King Clovis raised Martin to the status of national saint and patron of the Frankish-Merovingian kings.

Edge lettering

Designer