Coins commemorates Saint Francis: Italy, Vatican City and San Marino - together for the first time
Agreement signed today for a coordinated issue: three coins united in a single project for the 800th anniversary of the Saint’s death
Vatican City, March 30, 2026 – For the very first time, three States have joined forces in a numismatic project in the name of Saint Francis. The Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato of Italy, the Governorate of Vatican City State, and Poste San Marino have signed an agreement establishing, for the first time, the creation of a triptych of commemorative coins dedicated to the song Canticle of the Creatures [aka Canticle of the Sun], in the year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi (1226–2026).
Within the framework of their respective institutional activities, the agreement provides for the minting, during the course of 2026, of three copper coins with a nominal value of €0.75, conceived as a unified whole both artistically and symbolically. The three issues will in fact be jointly distributed in a presentation case that brings together different interpretations of the Canticle of the Creatures (Laudes Creaturarum), one of the foundational texts of Italian literature.
The project originates from a shared intention to enhance a common spiritual and cultural heritage through the universal language of coinage. The production and supply of the issues for Vatican City State and the Republic of San Marino are entrusted to the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, regulated by specific supply agreements. A distinctive feature of the issue is the choice of a common obverse for the three coins, while the reverses develop three different sections of the Canticle, offering a structured and complementary narrative of the Franciscan message.
The triptych represents a unique case in the international numismatic landscape: not only for its commemorative value, but for the collaboration between three different States which, through a shared project, renew the contemporary relevance of Saint Francis’s universal message, founded on harmony, respect, and friendship among all creatures.
