Catalog
1 Euro John Paul I
| Issuer | Vatican City |
|---|---|
| Year | 2005 |
| Type | Fantasy coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The nickel silver center features a large numeral '1' dominating the right field, with a detailed rendering of St. Peter's Basilica and its colonnade occupying the left and center background. Below the basilica, the word PROVA (meaning 'trial' or 'proof' in Italian) appears alongside the date 2005, with a small Euro symbol in the lower center field. The nordic gold outer ring is decorated with twelve raised stars, referencing the European Union motif standard to euro coinage. |
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| Reverse lettering | PROVA 2005 1 E |
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| Additional information |
John Paul I reigned for just 33 days in 1978 — the shortest pontificate of the 20th century — and died before a single coin bearing his likeness entered circulation. The Vatican's 2005 issue, part of the sede vacante and memorial series surrounding John Paul II's death, brought his image to coinage nearly three decades after his papacy ended. Whether his actual cause of death was cardiac arrest, as officially stated, remains disputed; no autopsy was ever performed.