Catalog
100 Lire - Pope Francis
| Issuer | Vatican City |
|---|---|
| Year | 2019-2024 |
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| Designer(s) | Franck Medina |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of Pope Francis in papal vestments, accompanied by a dove in flight and a view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The coat of arms of Pope Francis appears as a secondary design element. Inscriptions identify the issuing authority and denomination within a decorative border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 100 CENTO LIRE CAMPIONE SENZA VALORE BANCA VATICANA Sua Santita Papa Francesco |
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| Comments |
Vatican banknotes are not legal tender in the conventional sense — they are issued exclusively for collectors under agreements tied to the Holy See's special status, and this series was never intended to circulate. The 100 Lire denomination is a deliberate anachronism: Italy replaced the Lira with the Euro in 2002, and the Vatican's use of it here is purely commemorative, trading on numismatic nostalgia rather than any monetary function.
Franck Medina, a French designer with credits across several European collector note programs, handled the artwork. Watermark security on a non-circulating collectible is largely ceremonial — present to satisfy the expectations of the format rather than to deter counterfeiting of something with no transactional value.