Depicts a bust of Pope Benedict XVI in profile facing to the left. The legend '80th Anniversary of the Birthday of Pope Benedict XVI Vatican City' is engraved surrounding the portrait. On the right hand side, the mintmark R, the year mark and the initials of the engraver M.C.C. INC. are written, while the left hand side shows the name of the artist. The twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring.

Artist: Daniela Longo
Engraver: Maria Carmela Colaneri (MCC INC.)

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.”

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