An outstretched hand, the muzzle of a wolf approaching without fear. San Marino has thus chosen to remember Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy, eight centuries after his death: no face of the saint, only the gesture that according to tradition tamed the beast of Gubbio. The new 2 euro commemorative coin of the Titan has been on sale since 6 October and the obverse bears the signature of thirty-year-old Fani Ivanka Taurino, trained at the School of Medal Art of the State Polygraphic Institute and Mint.
The drawing
The issue was announced by Poste San Marino with a press release dated 29 September. The wolf looks with trust at the hand that made him tame; next to it appears the girdle of the Franciscan habit with the three knots of the vows of obedience, chastity and poverty, while branches and flowers frame the scene. The writings SAN MARINO and FRANCESCO OF ASSISI run around, with the dates 1226-2026, and on the outer ring the twelve stars of the European Union. The letter R refers to the Mint of Rome, which minted the piece: Poligrafico also exclusively produces the coins of San Marino and the Vatican.
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The choice to leave out the portrait is intentional. “People are remembered first and foremost for what they do and not for what they represent”, explained the artist, according to whom the saint’s entire message is in that gesture.
How many coins and where to buy them
The uncirculated version was minted in 52 thousand copies, in addition to 4 thousand proofs and the same number of reverse proofs, for a total of 60 thousand pieces.
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They can be purchased at the philatelic and numismatic shop in Piazzetta Garibaldi, San Marino, and on the Poste San Marino website.
Who is the author
Born in 1996, Fani Ivanka Taurino graduated with honors in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and today is a scholarship holder at the same School of the Art of the Medal. In October last year, during Milano Numismatica 2025, the Professional Italian Numismatists awarded her the NIP Award to young people for the dissemination of numismatics.
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The Titan, moreover, had already planned another tribute to the saint through a decree issued last April, in which a 0.75 euro coin dedicated to the Canticle of the Creatures was authorized, coordinated with Italy and the Vatican.
