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2 euro commemorative coin of the Republic of San Marino, issued in 2019 in a circulation of 60,500 copies. Dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. Minted at IPZS, Rome. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
The center of the coin depicts a stylized self-portrait of Leonardo in profile (based on the famous self-portrait of 1512) or a fragment of the famous "Vitruvian Man" (c. 1490). At the top is "San Marino". At the bottom is "LEONARDO" and the dates "1519-2019". Mark "R". On the 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. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the European Union. The rim is finely fluted, with the inscription "2 ★" repeated 6 times.
Historical context
Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) was a universal genius of the High Renaissance, the most famous representative of the "homo universalis": artist, architect, engineer, inventor, anatomist, botanist, musician, writer. He was born as the illegitimate son of the notary ser Piero in the village of Vinci near Florence. A student of Andrea del Verrocchio. He worked in Florence, Milan (at the court of Lodovico Sforza), Venice, Bologna, Rome, and finally in France at the court of King Francis I, where he died in the castle of Clos-Luce in Amboise. Among his masterpieces: "The Last Supper" (fresco 1495-1498 in Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan), "Mona Lisa" (La Gioconda, c. 1503-1519, in the Louvre), "Lady with an Ermine", "Virgin of the Rock", "Saint John the Baptist". He left thousands of pages of sketches, notes, technical drawings - from anatomical observations to designs for flying machines. He died on May 2, 1519 in Amboise.