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A 2 euro commemorative coin of the Vatican City State, issued in 2024 with a circulation of about 70,000 copies. Dedicated to the 750th anniversary of the death of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The author of the design is Arianna Cicconi (A. Cicconi). Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at the IPZS in Rome.
Obverse
The foreground depicts Saint Thomas Aquinas in the cassock of the Dominican Order, to which he belonged. In his left hand, Thomas holds a volume of his most important work, Summa Theologiae, and in his right, a pen. The sun shines on the saint's chest, a symbol of his great wisdom. Below the image is the inscription "DOCTOR ANGELICUS" (Angelic Doctor, one of his most famous titles, glorifying his exceptional purity of soul and body). In the background on the left is the lily (symbol of chastity) and the Church of St. Thomas in Roccassecca - the first church in the world built in honor of St. Thomas after his canonization on July 18, 1323 by Pope John XXII. Above is the inscription "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO". On the left is the year "1274", on the right is "2024", the mark "R" and the name of the author "A. CICCONI". 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. It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders. On the left is a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right is a map. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the EU. The rim is finely fluted and the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
Saint Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274) is one of the most prominent theologians, philosophers and lawyers of the Catholic Church, Doctor of the Church (Doctor Ecclesiae), Angelic Doctor. He was born c. 1225 in the castle of Roccasecca (Kingdom of Sicily). In 1244, against the will of his family, he joined the Dominican Order. He studied in Paris and Cologne with Albert the Great. His main work, Summa Theologiae (1265-1273), is a comprehensive exposition of Catholic theology that combined Christian doctrine with the philosophy of Aristotle and became the basis of Thomism. He died on March 7, 1274, on his way to the Council of Lyons, in the monastery of Fossanova. Canonized on July 18, 1323, by Pope John XXII. Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius V in 1567, and a patron of Catholic schools and universities by Pope Leo XIII in 1880.