Vatican Coins Feature Pope Leo XIV's Image After Six-Year Absence
The Vatican City State Governorate has released a new set of commemorative euro coins featuring Pope Leo XIV's image. This marks the first time since 2014 that the papal image has been printed on the coins, following Pope Francis' request to not use his face.
The coins are part of a new Vatican euro collector coin set honoring the new pontificate. The design is unique in the history of Vatican coin-making, with Leo's coat of arms appearing on smaller denominations and his face on larger ones.
The practice of featuring the pope's image on minted coins dates back to the Middle Ages, when pontiffs held temporal power over the Papal States. After the establishment of Vatican City in 1929, the sovereign state issued lira coins bearing the papal image until it adopted the euro in 2001.
The European Central Bank notes that the first Vatican coins for the euro were issued in 2002 with the face of St. John Paul II. From 2006-2013, another set was issued with the face of Pope Benedict XVI.