Media Forum – Vatican Coins for 2009

Vatican Numismatic Office - 2009 Coins

The Vatican Numismatic Office announced just a few new issues with a number of interesting themes. There will be 100 Euro gold coins for Adam and Eve cast out of Eden and The Sistine Chapel. The Masterpieces of Sculpture in Vatican City series continues with 20 and 50 Euro gold issues featuring the Good Shepard and the Laocoon.

The International year of Astronomy will be honored on a bimetallic 2 Euro circulation issue and the normal circulation type sets in BU and Proof will be released for collectors. The proof set includes a silver medal for the Evangelist Saint John.

Silver commemoratives will also be struck in 5 and 10 Euro denominations celebrating the 42nd World Day of Peace and the 80th Anniversary of the Vatican City State established in 1929, respectively.

But the main message to the group gathered at the Media Forum however, was that the Vatican Numismatic Office has no agents. They are the sole distributors of their own coinage. This statement was made necessary because of the proliferation of counterfeit Vatican Euro coins sets being sold worldwide, particularly on the Internet and on Internet based sales and auction websites.

While I can understand the problems this causes the Vatican Numismatic Offiice and sympathize with their troubles regarding private packaging, I must say that thier restrictive issuing policy and their lack of use of wider more sophisticated distribution agents certainly seems to be at the crux of this problem. After searching a few Official Vatican website pages, I can tell you that 2009 dated Vatican coins are on sale now in the Month of April, but several restrictions apply, which you can read about at the Vatican City State Services page for Philatelics and Numismatics.

Outlines for the full 2009 Vatican Numismatic programcan also be found within the site. Click the highlighted sections on any of my postings to link to more information.