Got this year's issue program from the Numismatic and Philatelic Office (UFN) of the Vatican. For anyone who is interested, here are the coins:

The 2007 circulation and commemorative coins ...
Euro Coin Set - BU Version
* Set of 8 coins (1 cent - 2 euro) in a folder
Euro Coin Set - Proof Version
* Set (8 coins) plus a silver medal "The Evangelists - St. Mark"
Commemorative €2 Coin (BU)
* 80th Birthday of Pope Benedict XVI

... and four silver/gold collector coins (proof):
Silver €5 Coin
* World Day of Peace (Human Person - Heart of Peace)
Silver €10 Coin
* World Missionary Day
Gold €20 and €50 Coins
* Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Eucharist - 3rd Year)

Since the Vatican is not an EU member, the country does not participate in the Treaty of Rome commem series. (The UFN will issue a stamp on that occasion though.) Designs of the commemorative and collector coins are not known yet ...

Christian

Is there a web site to order these sets at?

Ron

No, you need to ask to be added to the UFN's mailing list. If you are lucky, they will actually do that, and then you get an order form every few months. It is not as bad as in the first years of the euro any more, but patience is still a virtue in that regard.

The UFN does have some info online http://www.vatican.va/vatican_city_state/s...ns/index_it.htm but those pages are not updated very often ...

Christian

i've been trying to get on their list for years. now that the former bishop of san francisco is a total pal of il papa maybe i can send a message through his office ... >g<

This is the design of the "80th Birthday" commemorative €2 coin. Like the regular Vatican coins, the piece shows a portrait of Pope Benedict. But of course the inscription is "occasion specific", and the effigy is a little different. Here are, on the left, the regular €2 piece and, on the right, the new commem which will be issued later this year:


A large image of this year's commemorative coin design is here:
http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/n...ges/va_2007.jpg

Christian

Maybe they have sensors somewhere to see if you're a practitioner of their religion ?

Maybe you have to be a Roman Catholic if you want a job at the UFN. Other than that ... yours truly is not religious but has been ordering, and getting, coins from them for years. Monaco is much worse when it comes to who can order what.

Christian

Getting on their list is really tough. I've even tried it through our university institute and got turned down. Now, I know I am an orthodox (at least on paper), but that was never mentioned in my letters. I've wanted to get my hands on some sede vacante coins for a long time, but my only choice it to pay loads of money on ebay or somewhere else. So I had to give that up... oh well.

Weren't they preparing a website shop. I am sure I read something about this some time ago...

Both my wife and I and my adult son in Indianapolis were fortunate enough to get on their customer list in 2002. But we are also fully aware of their HUGE price increases ever since. You don't have to be Roman Catholic but do have to accept price gouging over a short period of time. Mint sets cost us around $15 in 2002 with proof sets around the $50 level but those days are long gone! While I understand millions of collectors want the coins and are willing to pay huge premiums for them I don't understand the huge price hikes as packaging and metals have not changed since their first Euro release in 2002? Guess they just wanted their piece of the pie, so to speak?

Maybe somewhere around here?
http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?showtopic=15198
(msg #7-)

Christian

I am pretty sure they soon realized that many of the sets they were initially selling at fairly moderate prices were then offered on eBay ... and would cost much more there. By increasing the official prices the UFN made such deals less attractive, and also, some early euro collectors have lost their interest. And the result? You now have a better chance of buying coins directly from them. Of course some people may find the "Monaco method" better - they sold the entire mintage of the 2006 set (the first one with Albert), and this year's €2 commemorative coin, to professional dealers. And the result? Every collector pays at least €300 or so for that 2006 (proof only) set, or €150 for that (BU only) commem ... This "Benedict's Birthday" coin will, also due to the higher mintage, certainly be less expensive than that.

Christian

I had the feeling you were involved when I read it, tabbs. Yep, exactly there.

One day... one day I will get my SV coins.