Portugal

2023

Commemorative coin

World Youth Day

Official Journal of the European Union

The World Youth Day (WYD) was held in Lisbon in august 2023. WYD is a worldwide encounter of young people, who want to take part in a festive gathering with the Pope and with hundreds of thousands of other youths who share the same universal principles of peace, union and fraternity all around the world. The design depicts the Pilgrim Cross, a set of human-like figures of different sizes and textures displayed as in a globe. At the bottom, two hands envelop the whole in a welcoming gesture of the inclusion and universality that is implied in this gathering. On the top edge, two inscriptions read ‘JORNADA MUNDIAL DA JUVENTUDE’ (Portuguese for WORLD YOUTH DAY) and ‘LISBOA 2023’. On the bellow edge, the coat of arms of Portugal, the inscription ‘PORTUGAL’, the mintmark ‘CASA DA MOEDA’ (the name of the Portuguese Mint) and the name of the designer ‘JOÃO DUARTE’. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

World Youth Days are events of the Roman Catholic Church. The worldwide gathering for all adolescents and young adults between the ages of 14 and 30 is organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, part of the Curia, and the host country. The meetings have their origin in an initiative of Pope John Paul II, who invited people to Rome in 1984 for the 'International Youth Jubilee'. Commemorative 2-euro coins were issued by the Vatican City for the World Youth Days in Cologne in 2005, in Madrid in 2011 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. This year's World Youth Day will take place in Lisbon from 1 to 6 August. Its motto is the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth with the quotation from Luke 1:39: "Mary arose and departed in haste". The motif of the Portuguese commemorative coin shows a cross and 23 stylised human figures surrounding it - depicted in different textures and sizes - as well as two hands embracing the globe-like whole in an embracing gesture. This expresses the community of values of the WYD participants, who share the same universal principles of peace, unity and brotherhood all over the world.

Edge lettering

Designer