5 Euro Cents - Sede Vacante

Issued by the Apostolic Camera — the body that governs Vatican financial and administrative affairs during a papal interregnum — this coin was struck following the death of John Paul II on April 2, 2005. The Camera operates under the Camerlengo, at that time Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo, and retains the authority to produce coinage only for the duration of the vacancy. Once Benedict XVI was elected on April 19, the Camera's authority ceased immediately.

The window for striking Sede Vacante issues is measured in days, not months. Mintages are tightly controlled, and these pieces see virtually no circulation.