Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 2 Euro 2015, KM# 381, Italy, 750th Anniversary of Birth of Dante Alighieri
  • 2 Euro 2015, KM# 381, Italy, 750th Anniversary of Birth of Dante Alighieri
Description

Durante degli Alighieri, simply called Dante (c. 1265 – 1321), was a major Italian poet of the Late Middle Ages. His Divine Comedy, originally called Comedìa and later christened Divina by Boccaccio, is widely considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature.

Dante has been called "the Father of the Italian language" and one of the greatest poets of world literature. In Italy, Dante is often referred to as il Sommo Poeta ("the Supreme Poet") and il Poeta.

San Marino shares the same theme this year as the country has also issues commemorative coin marking the birth of Dante. Both coins are minted in Italy.

Obverse

Depicts Dante with an open book in his left hand and the Purgatory mountain at the back: detail from the illustration of the Divine Comedy painted by Domenico di Michelino (1417-1491) in the Dome of S. Maria del Fiore in Florence; in the centre, the monogram of the Italian Republic "RI"; at the right the inscription "R", identifying the Mint of Rome; below the inscription "SP", initials of Silvia Petrassi and the dates "1265 2015", i.e. the year of the anniversary and that of the coin's issue respectively; arch-shaped, the inscription "DANTE ALIGHIERI". The outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

DANTE ALIGHIERI
RI
R
SP
1265
2015

Reverse

A geographical map of Western Europe spans the outer ring and inner core on the right side of the coin. The inscription 2 EURO is superimposed over the map of Europe, with the numeral “2” located in an open field representing the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

12 stars are located on the right side of the outer ring, with six stars atop the map of Europe and six stars below it; six vertical stripes cut across the inner core of the coin, visually connecting the upper and lower star segments.

Luc Luycx, a designer at the Royal Belgian Mint, designed the Euro’s common reverse; his initials, LL, are seen on the right side of the design, just under the “O” in “EURO.”

2 EURO
LL

Edge

The sequence "2 ★" repeated six times alternately upright and inverted

2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★ 2 ★

Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Bi-Metallic
Ring Cupronickel
Center Nickel Brass
Weight 8.5 g
Diameter 25.75 mm
Thickness 2.2 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute (IPZS)

Related coins

750th Anniversary of Birth of Dante Alighieri

Bi-Metallic, 8.5 g, ⌀ 25.75 mm