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2 euro commemorative coin of the Italian Republic, issued on May 17, 2022 in a circulation of 3,000,000 copies. Dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the death of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. The author of the design is Valerio De Seta (initials "VdS"). Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at IPZS in Rome.
Overse
The center of the coin depicts a double portrait of two Italian judges - Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, inspired by the famous 1992 photograph by Toni Gentile, which became an icon of the fight against the mafia. The two judges-friends are depicted in half-profile, close to each other. At the top, in an arc, is the inscription "FALCONE – BORSELLINO". Below are the dates "1992 2022" (the year of the death of both judges and the year of issue). In the center between the dates is the monogram "RI" (Repubblica Italiana). On the right is the mark "R". On the left are the initials of the author "VdS". 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. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the European Union. The band is finely grooved and has the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times, alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
Giovanni Falcone (1939-1992) and Paolo Borsellino (1940-1992) were two Palermo magistrates who became heroes in the fight against the Sicilian mafia "Cosa Nostra". Both were born in Palermo and were childhood friends. As members of the so-called "Pool Antimafia" (Antimafia Pool) under the leadership of Antonino Caponetto, in the 1980s they carried out a large-scale investigation, the "Maxi-Processo" (Great Trial), a trial of 475 mafiosi, which ended in 1987 with 360 convictions, including against boss Toto Riina. Falcone was killed along with his wife Francesca Morgivali and three bodyguards on 23 May 1992 in a terrorist attack on the A29 motorway near the town of Capaci - the mafia detonated 500 kg of explosives under the highway. Fifty-seven days later, on 19 July 1992, Paolo Borsellino was also killed along with five bodyguards in a terrorist attack on Via D'Amelio in Palermo. These terrorist attacks shocked Italy and led to a decisive state offensive against the mafia.