Vatican coinage is minted under agreement with Italy and follows the eurozone technical specifications, but production is tightly constrained by treaty — annual mintages are small and largely absorbed by collector sets. The 2005–2007 span is notable for covering the sede vacante period following John Paul II's death in April 2005, the brief interregnum coinage, and the early pontificate of Benedict XVI, meaning three distinct obverse types exist within this short window.
The sede vacante issue, struck by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, is the rarest of the three.
Vatican coinage is minted under agreement with Italy and follows the eurozone technical specifications, but production is tightly constrained by treaty — annual mintages are small and largely absorbed by collector sets. The 2005–2007 span is notable for covering the sede vacante period following John Paul II's death in April 2005, the brief interregnum coinage, and the early pontificate of Benedict XVI, meaning three distinct obverse types exist within this short window.
The sede vacante issue, struck by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato in Rome, is the rarest of the three.