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2 euro commemorative coin of the Italian Republic, issued on 22 April 2011 in a circulation of 10,000,000 copies. Dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The author of the design and engraver is Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini (initials "ELF inc."). Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at IPZS in Rome.
Obverse
In the center of the coin, three Italian flags fluttering in the wind are depicted - the logo of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The three flags symbolize the three past 50 anniversaries, which ended in 1911, 1961 and 2011 - demonstrating the perfect connection between generations. At the top of the circle is the inscription "150° DELL' UNITA' D'ITALIA" (150th anniversary of the unification of Italy) with the monogram "RI" (Repubblica Italiana) shifted to the center right. Below the flags are the dates "1861 > 2011 > >". At the bottom is the mint mark "R" and the inscription "ELF INC." (initials of the author Ettore Lorenzo Frapiccini). On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the EU.
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. The outer ring features the 12 stars of the European Union. The band is finely fluted and has the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
The Unification of Italy (Unificazione d'Italia), also known as the Risorgimento (Risorgimento, "Renaissance"), was a political and social movement that in the 19th century led to the consolidation of the various states of the Apennine Peninsula into a single Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed on 17 March 1861. The key figures of the movement were: Giuseppe Mazzini (ideologist of Young Italy, founder in 1831), Giuseppe Garibaldi (folk hero, commander of the "Red Shirts", who carried out the March of a Thousand to Sicily and Naples in 1860), Camillo Cavour (diplomat and Prime Minister of Piedmont-Sardinia) and King Vittorio Emanuele II (first king of a united Italy). The final unification was completed with the annexation of Venice (1866) and the capture of Rome (20 September 1870), which became the capital of Italy in 1871. The 150th anniversary in 2011 was celebrated with numerous celebrations and initiatives throughout the country.