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2 euro commemorative coin of the Italian Republic, issued on October 15, 2009 in a circulation of 2,500,000 copies. Dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. The author of the design is Elisa Papadacci. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at IPZS in Rome.
Obverse
The national side depicts the fingers of the right hand touching the Braille text on a sheet of paper, demonstrating a characteristic method of tactile reading for the blind. To the left of the image is the inscription "LOUIS BRAILLE". Below the hand are the years "1809-2009" and the monogram "RI" (Repubblica Italiana). Also on the field of the coin is the mint mark "R" (Rome) and the signature of the author. On the outer ring are the 12 five-pointed stars of the European Union.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the second type, designed by Luc Luix (Royal Belgian Mint). It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders - a symbol of European unity. On the left is a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right is a map with six thin horizontal lines in the background. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the European Union. The rim is finely grooved and the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
Louis Braille (1809-1852) was a French educator and inventor, the author of the raised-dot font for the blind, which bears his name and has become a universal writing system for the blind around the world. He was born on January 4, 1809 in the small town of Coupeville near Paris. At the age of three, he lost his sight as a result of an accident in his father's saddler's workshop. In 1819, he entered the Royal Institute for Blind Young People in Paris. In 1821, French army captain Charles Barbier introduced students to his invented "night font" (night code) for reading in the dark using convex dots. Braille improved the system by moving from 12 to 6 dots, which are easy to grasp with a finger. He published the system in 1829. He died on January 6, 1852, of tuberculosis. Braille spread throughout the world, and Braille himself is buried in the Panthéon in Paris.