By the Italian Mint ……
As part of the celebrations for the 700th anniversary of the death of the Supreme Poet, the Italian State Printing Office and Mint (the Italian Mint) is issuing the second dedicated coin to the work and figure of Dante Alighieri. Issued on September 14, 2022, by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the coin celebrates the Divine Comedy and this year is dedicated to Purgatory.
The coin was made of silver in a Brilliant Uncirculated version, with a face value of 5 euros and a circulation of 6,000 pieces.
The second version is a Proof coin including gold, with a nominal value of 20 euros and a circulation of 1,500 pieces.
Created by the artist Claudia Momoni, the coin depicts the profile of Dante Alighieri on the obverse, the effigy inspired by a work of Sandro Botticelli that is now in a private collection, and in the circle, the legend “ITALIAN REPUBLIC” closed by a star.
On the reverse, a representation of Purgatory surrounded by the sea, the sun, and the stars, on which at the top, at the end of the last frame, a wall of fire and the Divine Forest stand out; in the turn, the verse “PURE AND WILLING TO GO UP TO THE STARS”, the verse that closes the canticle of Purgatory. On the right, the value “5 EURO”; on the left “R”, identification of the Mint of Rome. Below is the date “2022”, the year of issue of the coin, and the signature of the author “MOMONI”. The presence of colored elements characterizes the silver version.
Description and availability for the purchase of coins from the 2022 Numismatic Collection are published on the portal www.shop.ipzs.it.
