Vatican City and Coins

 

Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Citta del Vaticano), is an independent city-state and enclave located within Rome, Italy. The Vatican City State, also known simply as Vatican, became independent from Italy with the Lateran Treaty (1929), and it is a distinct territory under full ownership, exclusive dominion and sovereign authority and jurisdiction of the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity of international law, which maintains the city state's temporal, diplomatic and spiritual independence. 

                             

    Vatican City, 5 Lire, Pivs XI, Coin                       

    

With an area of 49 hectares (121 acres) and a population of about 825 (as of 2019, includes 453 residents and 372 residing elsewhere),  it is the smallest country in the world by both area and population.

                                             

Map of Vatican City, with notable buildings and the Vatican gardens

 

As governed by the Holy See, the Vatican City State is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchial state ruled by the Pope who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. The name Vatican City was first used in the Lateran Treaty, signed on 11 February 1929, which established the modern city-state named after Vatican Hill, the geographical location of the state. ''Vatican'' is derived from the name of an Etruscan settlement, Vatica or Vaticum located in what the Romans called Ager Vaticanus. The Latin name is Status Civitatis Vaticanae, and is used in official documents by the Holy See, the Church and the Pope.

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Coat of Arms

                                           

               

The name ''Vatican'' was in use in the time of the Roman Republic (509 BC-27 BC) for a marshy area on the west bank of Tiber across the city of Rome, between the Janiculum, the Vatican Hill and Monte Mario, down to the Aventine Hill, up to the confluence of the Cremera creek.

Under the Roman Empire, many villas were constructed, after Agrippina the Elder (14 BC-33 AD). Her son, Emperor Caligula built in her gardens a circus for charioteers (AD 40), that was later completed by Nero, usually called, the Circus of Nero. During the reign of Emperor Constantine I, (272-337 AD), construction of the Old St Peter's Basilica begun over the historical site of the Circus of Nero, over what was believed to be the tomb of Saint Peter.  It took 40 years to complete.

                                              

Representation of the relative locations of the circus and the medieval and current Basilicas of St Peter

                                              

19th century drawing of St Peter's Basilicas as thought to have looked around 1450 AD. The Vatican Obelisk is on the left, still standing on the spot where it was erected on orders of Emperor Caligula in 37 AD.

 However, in 846 AD, Saracens (a term used by Christian writers in Europe in the Middle Ages to refer to Muslims of Arab, Turkish and Persian origin), sacked and damaged the basilica as also destroyed Saint Peter's tomb and pillaged the holy shrine.

By the 15th century, the Church was falling to ruin. The Saint Peter's Basilica, a church, initially planned by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the aging Old St Peter's Basilica began in 1506 AD and was completed in 1626 AD.

                                           

Main façade and dome of St Peter's Basilica seen from St Peter's Square

                                            

St Peter's Square, the Basilica and Obelisk, from Piazza Pio XII

 

Popes gradually came to have a secular role as governors of regions near Rome. They ruled the Papal States (officially the State of the Church), which covered a large portion of the Italian peninsula, for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when all these territories were seized by the newly created Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the Pope's holdings were left in an uncertain situation when Rome itself was annexed. Between 1861 and 1929, the status of the Pope was referred to as the ''Roman Question''.

                                           

The Italian peninsula in 1796 AD. The Papal States in central Italy are coloured purple

Italy made no attempts to interfere with the Holy See, however, church property was confiscated in many places. The Quirinal Palace was confiscated and became the Royal Palace. The Popes did not recognize the Italian king's right to rule in Rome, and they refused to leave the Vatican compound until the dispute was resolved in 1929. The Lateran Treaty signed between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy, established the independent state of Vatican City and reaffirmed the special status of Catholic Christianity in Italy.

                                                

The Ingresso di SantÁnna, an entrance to Vatican City from Italy

During World War II, both the German troops and the Allies respected Vatican City as neutral territory. The Pontifical Swiss Guard, or Swiss Guard, is a minor armed force and honour guard unit maintained by the Holy See that protects the Apostolic Palace and the Pope within the territory of Vatican City since 1506 AD.

                                               

Group of Pontifical Swiss Guard inside St Peter's Basilica
 

In 1984, a new concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain provisions of the earlier treaty, including the position of Catholic Christianity as the Italian state religion, a position given to it by the statute of the Kingdom of Sardinia of 1848.

Vatican City issues its own coins and stamps. It has used the euro as its currency since January 1999, owing to a special agreement with the European Union. Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 2002. The Vatican does not issue euro banknotes. Because of their rarity, Vatican Euro coins are highly sought by collectors. Until the adoption of Euro, Vatican coinage and stamps were denominated in their own Vatican lira currency, which was on par with the Italian lira.

The Institute for Works of Religion, also known as the Vatican Bank, is a financial agency situated in the Vatican that conducts worldwide financial activities. It has multilingual ATM's with instructions in Latin, possibly the only ATM in the world with this feature.

Coins of Papal States and Vatican City

                                           

Papal States, 1/2 Giulio, Adriano VI, 1522-1523 AD, silver, weight 2.0 gm, Obverse: Decussed keys, above tiara, lettering FIRMV PLAC PRAESIDIVM, Reverse: Wolf standing, star above, three pellets below, lettering PLAC ROMANOR COLONIA, Piacenza mint

                                              

Papal States, 1 Grosso, John XXII, 1317-1321 AD, silver, weight 3.8 gm, Obverse: John seated facing, holding cross and raising right hand in benediction, on throne composed of two lions, let'tering IOhÉS: PAPA: XXII COmES: VEnAlnl, Reverse: Cross fleurée with lettering around

                                               

 

Papal States, 1 Quattrino, Pius VI, 1778-1779 AD, copper, weight 2.1 gm, Obverse: Papal Arms with legend, lettering translates to Pius VI Pontiff Maximus, Reverse: Inscription and date within wreath, lettering BONO NIA DOCET 1778. 

                                              

Papal States, 1 Carlino, Pius VI, 1778 AD, silver, weight 1.4 gm, Obverse: Papal arms above value, lettering PIVS VI MAX, Reverse: Capped bust of St Peter facing, date above, 1778

                                               

  

Vatican City, 10 Centesimi, Pivs XI, 1929-1938, bronze, weight 5.5 gm, Obverse: Crowned coat of arms divides date, name of pope, translates to Pius XI Pope Greatest Year Ten (of his reign), Reverse: St Peter bust right, value, translates to State of Vatican City.

                                               

Vatican City, 1 Lira, Loannes XXIII, John XXIII, 1959-1962, aluminum, weight 0.6 gm, Obverse: Emblem, Crossed keys, Reverse: Crouching figure

                                              

Vatican City, 5 Lire, Sede Vacante, 1939, silver, weight 5 gm, Obverse: Arms of Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, Reverse: Dove within sun

                                               

Vatican City, 100 Lire, Loannes XXIII, 1961, silver, Obverse: Pope John XXIII facing left with regnal year below, Latin script around, translated to JOHN XXIII, pontifex maximus, regnal year 3, Reverse: Fides facing holding a cross and calice dividing nominal value and year, legend in Italian above. Designer to the left of the right foot. Name of goddess below , lettering translating to Vatican City

                                               

Vatican City, 1 Euro, 2008-2013, Benedictus XVI, Bimetallic copper nickel, weight 7.5 gm, Obverse: The three quarters portrait of Pope Benedict XVI encircled by inscription translated to Vatican City and the 12 stars of Europe, Reverse: A map next to the face value, shows the European continent without borders.                 

  

                                           

Vatican City, 2 Euro, Benedictus XVI, 2006, Bimetallic, nickel brass , weight 8.5 gm, Obverse: Swiss guard taking oath of loyalty to the Pope, inscription around, under the flag appears name of issuing state, with 1506 on left, mint mark R, with 12 stars of European Union, Reverse: Map, next to face value, shows European continent without borders      

                                             

Vatican City, 5 Euro, Benedictus XVI, 2007, silver, weight 18 gm, Commemorative issue, Obverse: Figure kneeling in prayer, lettering around, Reverse: Standing Saint Francis de Assiss with a dove, sun and rays in background    

                                               

Vatican City, 10 Euro, Loannes Paulus II, Pope John Paul II, 2004, silver, weight 22 gm, Commemorative issue, 37th World Day of Peace, Obverse: John Paul II praying, Reverse: Tree of life rooted in virtues

                                                

  

Vatican City, 20 Euro, Benedictus XVI, 2009, gold, weight 6 gm, Commemorative, Obverse: Masterpieces of Sculpture, The good Shepherd Laocoon group, Reverse: Benedicts facing left

                                               

Vatican City, 100 Euro, Benedictus XVI, 2008, gold, weight 30 gm, Commemorative issue, Obverse: Bust left, Reverse: The Creator from the Sistine Chapel ceiling 

                                              

Vatican City, 200 Euro, Franciscus, 2015, gold, weight 40 gm, Commemorative issue, Cardinal Virtues: Prudence

Vatican City

Vatican City Coins

Papal States