2 Euro Commemorative coins Vatican City 2009

International Year of Astronomy

The Obverse, in the centre of the coin, depicts a geometric design divided into four parts, showing: above right a detail of Michelangelo's "The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Plants" fresco, above left Galileo's telescope, below right a modern telescope and below left a sundial. The lower part of the design depicts a sun surrounded by stars and planets, with the mintmark "R" above it and the minting year "2009" below it; to its left is the engraver's signature "M.C.C.. INC." and on its right the name of the author "O. ROSSI". Around the design, at the top, in an arc and on two lines, is the inscription "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO", while from the left downwards is the circular inscription "ANNO INTERNAZIONALE DELL'ASTRONOMIA". On the outside part are placed 12 five-pointed stars, the symbol of the European Union. The coin's Reverse is the new common side of Euro coins, with the face value "2" on the left and the European continent on the right, overlapped by the inscription "EURO". Six vertical lines with a star at each end are placed behind the Europe's image.
Edge: finely milled, with six "2" in incuse (repeated alternately from bottom to top and vice versa) and twelve five-pointed stars.
Diameter: 25,75 mm
Thickness: 2,20 mm
Weight: 8,5 g
Composition: bimetallic coin (outer part: copper-nickel, inner part: nickel-brass).