10 Euro Cents - Sede Vacante

Sede Vacante issues are struck during the vacancy between pontificates — in this case, the weeks following the death of John Paul II on April 2, 2005, before Benedict XVI's election on April 19. The Vatican's camerlango, Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo, held administrative authority during this period, and coins issued under Sede Vacante bear his jurisdiction rather than any pope's. The window was narrow, mintages were small, and these pieces were never intended for general circulation — making survival in any condition essentially a matter of deliberate preservation.