Inspiration, study, technique and experience

For the first time in the history of the Vatican City State’s numismatic issues, the artistic and creative process behind a coin was carried out entirely on a computer, without using pencils, paper, or sculpting materials, but only the stylus of a graphic tablet. Through this innovative technical approach, the 2024 50-euro gold coin themed “War and Peace” was created. This coin won the Best Gold Coin category of the prestigious international Coin of the Year (COTY) 2025 awards. Achieving this important recognition was the result of a team effort, as explained in this interview by Chiara Principe with www.vaticanstate.va, the designer who has been collaborating with the Vatican City State Mint for thirteen years in coin design.

For the first time, Vatican City has won the Best Gold Coin award in the prestigious international Coin of the Year (COTY) competition. The winning coin is the 50-euro gold issue, released by the Governorate in 2024 on the theme “War and Peace.”

The artwork is by Chiara Principe, a young artist from Rome who for years has created images for the Governorate's Vatican numismatic collections.