San Marino 2 euros 2016 – 550 Years since the Death of Donatello
UNC 2 euros coin in coin card.
Coins: Diameter – 25.75mm Thickness – 2.2mm Weight – 8.5gr 75% copper – 25% nickel clad on nickel core
Mintage: 85 000 pieces
Description
The coin is dedicated to the “550th anniversary of the death of Donatello”. San Marino produced two different commemorative coins in 2016, the other one dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare.
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, better known as Donatello, was the most important early Renaissance sculptor from Florence. He studied classical sculpture, and used this to develop a fully Renaissance style in sculpture, which his periods in Rome, Padua and Siena introduced to other parts of Italy over his long and productive career.
He worked in stone, bronze, wood, clay, stucco and wax, and had several assistants, with four perhaps a typical number. Though his most famous works are mostly statues in the round, he developed a new, very shallow, type of bas-relief for small works, and a good deal of his output was larger architectural reliefs.
To the left, the head of David by Donatello (bronze sculpture preserved in Florence). To the right the inscription “SAN MARINO”. At the top the mint mark “R” and at the bottom the inscription “Donatello”, the years “1466-2016” and the initials of the artist “MB”. On the outer edge 12 five-pointed stars representing the European Union.
Interestingly, Italy shares the same theme this year as the country has also issues commemorative coin marking the death of Donatello. San Marino opted for a frontal image and Italy for a profile. Both coins are minted in Italy.
