20 Euros Italy

Italy's 2003 gold 20 Euro belongs to a commemorative program launched after the introduction of euro coinage, giving the Zecca dello Stato an outlet for the collector gold issues it could no longer produce in the old lira denominations. Without a specific theme confirmed for KM#263, what's worth noting is the Istituto Poligrafico's long tradition of striking gold proofs to exacting standards — the .900 fineness here mirrors the old 20 lire "Marengo" specification, a deliberate nod to pre-unification coinage weights that Italian collectors have always recognized.