🇻🇦 Vatican, Sede Vacante Coinage, 1939-Date, Complete
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Updated:
10/30/2025
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“Sede vacante” is a Latin phrase meaning “the see being vacant” and refers to the period in the Catholic Church when a pope has died or resigned and the College of Cardinals is gathering to elect a successor. During this time, the Church is without a supreme leader, but the College of Cardinals, under the leadership of the camerlengo, takes over the governance of the Church for ordinary business and matters that cannot be postponed.
Sede vacante coinage refers to the coins minted by the Vatican during this period when the papal seat is vacant, meaning between the death or resignation of one pope and the election of his successor. These coins historically provided a way for the Vatican to continue circulating currency without a papal portrait while awaiting the next pontiff. This was more important in the past when it could take months for the College of Cardinals to travel to Rome to elect the new pope, with modern air travel creating a much shorter period of interregnum than in the past. Today the coins serve the purpose of marking the period of transition from one papacy to the next, while generating significant revenue for the microstate.
Vatican coins during the sede vacante period differ from normal issues. They typically feature the Apostolic Chamber's coat of arms, which includes two crossed keys (symbolizing Saint Peter) and the umbraculum in place of the tiara above the crossed keys.
Sede vacante coins are relatively common in general, making collecting the full set an attainable goal; however, there are also some limited mintages that present a challenge for the collector. This challenge, along with their unique historical symbolism, was the inspiration for this particular collection.
The set spans three different eras of coinage - from the pre-WWII lira, the modern lira, through to the euro today - also adding to its historical interest. The two 1939 silver issues proved particularly difficult to find in high end condition, while the modern euro issues took a couple of submissions each in order to come back with acceptable specimens.
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🇻🇦 Vatican, Sede Vacante Coinage, 1939-Date, Complete
By SHOEDT1
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