Quote:
Originally Posted by teeboy
I recently received a gold coin from a relative. The coin has a picture of John Paul II stamped onto one side and a picture of Benedict 26th stamped on the other. I was told that it was blessed by the Pope. Does anyone know the nature of this coinage? I know that the Vatican gained it's soverignty as an independent state in 1929. Do they issue and control their own money as well?
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This is amazing! A coin from the future has been sent back in time. Time travel is possible. Awesome!
Just kidding. I assume you meant Benedict XVI.
Vatican City used to mint the
Vatican Lira, but in 2002 it like most of Europe gave up its own currency in favor of the Euro. As you may know, despite being a common currency, Euro coins with different designs on them are minted for each country in that uses it, including Vatican City, though if I recall these are few in number in the case of Vatican City and mainly something for coin collectors.
Assuming I'm right in guessing one of the images is of Pope Benedict XVI, it wouldn't be a coin of the old Vatican currency, since that was discontinued about three years before Pope Benedict XVI's election. I would be surpised if any official monetary coin displayed two Popes, and would guess instead that the coin is a privately minted no-monetary-value thing.
Or perhaps it is a medal that you've mistakenly thought was a coin? Does it have a hole a chain could go through?
Are there any words or numbers that might help identify it further?
Vatican Coinage
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