2 Euro Proof

The Carabinieri emerged during the political reorganization of Europe following the Napoleonic Wars. King Viktor Emanuel I. von Sardinien returned to his Piedmontese possessions in 1814 and, by royal decree of 13 July, established the “Corpo dei Reali Carabinieri”. The new force was intended both to safeguard public order and to perform military tasks. Its name derives from the firearm known as the carbine, with which the corresponding soldiers were equipped.

During the Italian unification, the corps was extended to the newly incorporated territories. Following the foundation of the Kingdom of Italy (Königreich Italien) in 1861, it served throughout the state. With the end of the monarchy, the designation “Reali”, meaning “royal”, was dropped. However, the combination of police and military functions remained in place. Since 2000, the Carabinieri have formed an independent branch of the Italian armed forces.

In everyday life, they perform general police duties, such as patrols, investigations and maintaining public order. At the same time, they serve as the military police of the Italian armed forces and are also deployed on foreign missions. Specialized units deal, among other things, with the protection of cultural assets, environmental offences, health regulations and organized crime. Organizationally, the Carabinieri belong to the defense sector; in civilian police matters, they operate within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior.

The depiction of a patrol in a storm used for the coin’s design refers less to a single historical event than to the corps’ self-image: readiness for action under difficult conditions, coordinated operations and a presence even in remote areas. The choice of the founding anniversary reflects the two-hundred-year institutional continuity encompassing several forms of government—from the Kingdom of Sardinia (Königreich Sardinien) through the Kingdom of Italy (Königreich Italien) to the present-day republic.