2009 * 2 euro VATICAN Astronomy

€2 commemorative coin:

International Year of Astronomy
The inner part of the coin depicts an allegory of the birth of the stars and planets together with several astronomical instruments. The mint mark R is situated in the bottom left quadrant and the year mark 2009 is at the bottom. The design is surrounded on the bottom left-hand side by the legend ANNO INTERNAZIONALE DELL´ASTRONOMIA and on the top right-hand side by the name of the issuing country CITTÀ DEL VATICANO. The twelve stars of the European Union surround the design on the outer ring of the coin.

*The International Year of Astronomy is a year-long celebration of astronomy, taking place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei.