| Description : The commemorative coin designed by Ettore Lorenzo
Frapiccini shows three flags of Italy, whose colour sequence green&dashwhite‐red (the green stands for la
pianura, the plain, nature and landscape, the white for the colour of the Alpine glaciers, the red for the blood
spilled in the Italian wars of independence) ‐ following the heraldic rules of tinging ‐ is represented by
hatching. On the 17th of March 1861, the Kingdom of Italy became the first Italian nation state. Italy's King
Victor Emmanuel II appointed Camillo Benso of Cavour as the first Prime Minister of the new state. The important role
he played in the creation of the Italian state was recognised by Italy in 2010 with a commemorative 2‐euro coin
dedicated to him. First Turin became the capital, then Florence in 1864 and Rome in 1871. At the top, the issue occasion
"150° DELL' UNITA' D' ITALIA" (150 years of Italy's unity) is depicted in a semicircle, and below the flags the
founding and issue year are mentioned with "1861 > 2011 > >". On the right the ligature "RI"
(Repubblica Italiana, Italian Republic), below the "R" the mint mark of the Italian mint Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca
dello Stato in Rome and the signet "ELF INC." (INC. = Incisore = engraver) of the designer. |
