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A 2 euro commemorative coin of the Vatican City State, issued in 2005 in a circulation of 100,000 copies. Dedicated to the XX World Youth Day in Cologne. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at IPZS in Rome. The author of the design is Daniela Longo (D. Longo).
Overse
The center of the coin depicts Cologne Cathedral - one of the most magnificent Gothic cathedrals in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - with a tailed comet (the Star of Bethlehem) flying above it. The star symbolizes the star that the Magi followed to the baby Jesus, and its tail passes over the cathedral in the direction of Cologne. Along the upper edge of the central part is the inscription "XX GIORNATA MONDIALE DELLA GIOVENTÙ" (XX World Youth Day) in Italian, separated by a comet's tail. On the outer ring are 12 stars in a semicircle, separated at the top by the year "2005" and the mint mark "R". At the bottom is "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO".
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the first type 2 euro coins, designed by Luc Luix. On the left is the denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right is a map of the European Union. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the EU. The band has a groove with the inscription "2 ★ ★", repeated six times.
Historical context
World Youth Day (WYD) is a Catholic event founded by Pope John Paul II in 1985, held every 2–3 years in different cities around the world and gathering hundreds of thousands of young Catholics. The 20th World Youth Day was held from 15 to 21 August 2005 in Cologne (Germany). It was the first WYD of Pope Benedict XVI, elected on 19 April 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II. The theme of the event was "We have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2) - a reference to the story of the Magi who came to worship the newborn Jesus Christ and whose relics, according to tradition, are kept in Cologne Cathedral. The event was attended by around 800,000 young pilgrims from 197 countries, making it one of the largest youth gatherings in German history.