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Commemorative 2 euro coin of the Italian Republic, issued on December 14, 2004, with a circulation of 16,000,000 copies. Dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the World Food Program. The author of the design and engraver is Uliana Pernazza (initials "UP"). Bimetallic (copper-nickel ring, three-layer core - nickel brass/nickel/nickel brass), diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS) in Rome. This is the first commemorative 2 euro coin of Italy.
Obverse
In the center of the coin is a globe tilted to the right, with the inscription WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME. Three ears of grain emerge from outside the globe - wheat, corn and rice - three cereals that represent the main sources of nutrition for humanity. To the right of the globe is the monogram "IR" (I superimposed on R) - an abbreviation for Repubblica Italiana (Italian Republic), below - the smaller initials "UP" of the engraver Uliana Pernazza. In the upper left corner - the mint mark "R" (Rome). Below the globe - the year of minting "2004". On the outer nickel ring are 12 five-pointed stars of the European Union.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the first type, designed by Luc Luix (Royal Belgian Mint). It depicts a map of the enlarged European Union with stylized lines below the map. On the left - a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO". On the outer ring are 12 five-pointed EU stars. The band is finely fluted and the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
The World Food Programme (WFP) is a UN agency that is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger and food insecurity and providing food aid in emergency situations. The idea for the programme was born in 1961 at the 11th session of the FAO General Conference, but the WFP was officially launched on 19 December 1961 as an experimental three-year programme by a UN resolution; it received permanent status in 1965. Its headquarters are in Rome (Italy). The 50th anniversary of the coin dates back to 1954, when the first FAO World Food Campaign (WFC), the predecessor of the WFP, was launched. The program provides assistance to over 80 countries worldwide and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger.