Italy adds its Baroque-inspired silver issue to the Europa Star coin programme

The Europe-wide Europa Star coin programme has Baroque as its theme this year and again, IPZS is contributing a design on behalf of Italy. Drawing on this Mediterranean nations long association with fine art, the design draws on works by Mochi, Borromini and Bernini to represent the Baroque period. The Baroque was a movement encompassing everything from architecture and philosophy, to art and music. It is considered one of the great movements from history, so its choice as a subject for the coin range was an inspired one. This €10 Italian coin has a fine and shhould be popular with collectors of proof Euro coins. Selling for €55.00 and with a mintage of 4,500 pieces, it’s available now.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The Baroque, an artistic and cultural movement flourishing in Rome around the third decade of the 17th century as its highest expression, was moved by the aim to surpass the perfect, smooth fgures from the Classical period with more daring, rich and elaborate forms. Exuberance and theatricality, dramatic tension and strong light-and-shade contrasts are distinguishing features of an age inclined to be represented and celebrated gorgeously.

OBVERSE: within a circle inscribed in a five-pointed star, a woman face representing Italy, with figurative elements drawn from the emblem of the Italian Republic: the cogwheel, oak and olive branches. Above, between two points of the star, a towered crown; below, the Europa Star Programme logo and the name of the designer “COLANERI”; below, on the right, “R” identifying the Mint of Rome; around, the inscription “REPUBBLICA ITALIANA”.

REVERSE: detail from the statue of Santa Veronica by Francesco Mochi (Basilica of Saint Peter’s in the Vatican) mingled with sculptural decorative elements by Bernini and Borromini which are representative of Baroque art. On the left, vertically, the inscription “IL BAROCCO”; above, the value “10 EURO” and the year of issue “2018”; below, the name of the designer “COLANERI”.