50 Euro - Franciscus 450th Anniversary of the Death of Michelangelo

Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564, just weeks before his 89th birthday, while still working on the Rondanini Pietà. The Vatican struck this commemorative in 2014 to mark the 450th anniversary, a pairing that carries obvious institutional weight — Michelangelo spent the last three decades of his life as chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica, appointed by Pope Paul III in 1546 and retained through the reigns of four successive popes.

Mintages for Vatican gold commemoratives of this period are typically extremely low, often under 1,000 pieces, issued primarily for collectors through the Philatelic and Numismatic Office.