Italian 2013 €2 Euro Commemorative coin - 200th Years since the Birth of Giuseppe Verdi
Commemorative 2 euro coins from Italy
Description: The design shows the bust of Giuseppe VERDI in three quarter view facing left; on the left, superimposed letters of the Italian Republic monogram ‘RI’/1813; on the right, R (monogram of the Mint of Rome)/2013; in exergue, MCC (monogram of the Author Maria Carmela COLANERI)/G. VERDI. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.
Reverse: left from the coin centre face value: 2, on the right inscription: EURO; in the background of the inscription a map of Europe; in the background of the map vertically six parallel lines ending on both sides with five-pointed stars (the reverse is common for all euro coins)
Design: Maria Carmela Colaneri is credited as the engraver for the Italian 2013 €2 Euro Commemorative coin.
Designer / Engraver Inscriptions: 'MCC' Initials of the engraver.
Issuing volume: 10 million coins
Date of issue: 20 May 2013
Face value: 2 euro
Diameter: 25.75 mm
Thickness: 2.2 mm
Weight: 8.5 gr
Composition: BiAlloy (Nk/Ng), ring Cupronickel (75% copper - 25% nickel clad on nickel core), center Nickel brass (75% copper - 20% zinc - 5% nickel)
€2 Edge Inscription: The Italian €2 coin edge inscription is '2', followed by one star, repeated six times alternately upright and inverted:
Mint Location: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS) (State Printing Office and Mint), in Rome, Italy.
Mint Marks: Mintmark of the Rome mint: the letter 'R'.
Located in the middle of the lower right quadrant, inner circle.
National Identification: Symbol: Stylized 'RI'; Repubblica Italiana (Republic of Italy).
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian Romantic composer primarily known for his operas. He is considered, together with Richard Wagner, the preeminent opera composer of the nineteenth century. Verdi dominated the Italian opera scene after the eras of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. His works are frequently performed in opera houses throughout the world and, transcending the boundaries of the genre, some of his themes have long since taken root in popular culture, as "La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto, "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" (The Drinking Song) from La traviata, "Va, pensiero" (The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco, the "Coro di zingari" (Anvil Chorus) from Il trovatore and the "Grand March" from Aida.
Moved by the death of compatriot Alessandro Manzoni, Verdi wrote Messa da Requiem in 1874 in Manzoni's honour, a work now regarded as a masterpiece of the oratorio tradition and a testimony to his capacity outside the field of opera. Visionary and politically engaged, he remains – alongside Garibaldi and Cavour – an emblematic figure of the reunification process of the Italian peninsula (the Risorgimento).