Poste San Marino’s limited-edition 2-euro coins are highly sought after by collectors, and 2026 has proven it twice over. The latest release, marking the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, arrived on Tuesday, October 6: the Proof and Reverse Proof versions, each minted in just 4,000 pieces, sold out within a matter of hours. The same thing happened in March with the coin dedicated to Titian.
The 2026 commemorative coins were issued in three versions, sharing the same design but differing in finish and mintage. The uncirculated (fior di conio) version was struck in 52,000 pieces. The two collector’s versions are thirteen times rarer and can be told apart at a glance: the Proof features the classic contrast between a mirror-polished background and a matte, frosted design, while the Reverse Proof flips the effect, pairing a matte background with a mirror-polished design.
It is precisely these special finishes that make the coins so coveted. Poste San Marino introduced them in 2025, and this year too both 2-euro commemoratives have sold out.
For the coin marking the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis, Poste San Marino chose a depiction of the saint unlike the customary ones. The obverse, created by artist Fani Ivanka Taurino, portrays the hand of Saint Francis reaching out toward the muzzle of the Wolf of Gubbio, who gazes trustingly at the hand that tamed him — a symbol of peace and brotherhood rooted in respect for creation. The composition is completed by the knotted cord of the saint’s habit, representing the three vows of obedience, chastity and poverty, and a border of branches and flowers evoking the harmony of nature.
The coin is part of a series of initiatives launched by Poste San Marino to celebrate the anniversary, alongside two joint issues: a three-coin set produced together with Italy and the Vatican, and a joint stamp issued with Italy, the Vatican and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
The year’s first commemorative coin, released on March 31, instead honored the 450th anniversary of the death of Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), one of the great masters of the Venetian Renaissance. The obverse, designed by artist Silvia Ciucci, reproduces the Allegory of Wisdom, painted by Titian in 1560 for the ceiling of the vestibule of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice, reproduced with permission from Italy’s Ministry of Culture and the library itself.
For enthusiasts, the technical specifications of the Saint Francis coin are as follows: face value 2 euros, weight 8.50 grams, diameter 25.75 millimeters, thickness 2.20 millimeters, with a copper-nickel outer ring and a three-layer inner core (nickel-brass, nickel, nickel-brass).
Poste San Marino’s numismatic and philatelic issues are available at the Philatelic and Numismatic Shop in Piazzetta Garibaldi 5, in the City of San Marino, and online at www.poste.sm. For limited editions, given the track record, it’s best to act on the very day of release.
