Vatican

2017

Commemorative coin

Centenary of the Fatima apparitions

Official Journal of the European Union

The design features the three young shepherds to whom Mary appeared, on the background the Sanctuary of Fatima. At the top is the inscription ‘CITTÀ DEL VATICANO’ in semi-circle and right under is the year ‘1917’. Underneath the year, from left to right, is the inscription ‘FATIMA 2017’. At the left side is the mintmark ‘R’ and at the bottom the name of the designer ‘O.ROSSI’. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

Against the background of the pilgrimage church called "Basilica Antiga", built in 1928-1953, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, the three little shepherds (from left to right) are depicted after a photograph from 1917, which is said to have appeared in the Cova da Iria near Fatima Maria on 13 May 1917: Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto. The Marto siblings died in 1919 and 1920 respectively as victims of the flu pandemic. Lucia dos Santos became a nun - she wrote down the Three Secrets of Fatima and died in 2005. On the left is the sculpture of Stephen I. (969-1038), 1000-1038 first king of the kingdom of Hungary he founded, standing on the colonnade of the basilica - venerated by the Roman Catholic Church as a saint like the Apostles.

Edge lettering

Designer