Vatican · 200 years of the Vatican Gendarmerie

Issue date2 Jun 2016

Total mintage98,000

EU maximum105,000

Editions3

Edge lettering2 ★ × 6, alternately upright/inverted

InscriptionCORPO DELLA GENDARMERIA / 1816-2016 / CITTA’ DEL VATICANO / R / D. Longo

DesignerDaniela Longo (Silvia Petrassi)

mintInstituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato, Roma

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin honors the 200th anniversary of the Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City. The design depicts a Vatican gendarme in front of St Peter’s Basilica (Petersdom), surrounded by the inscription “CORPO DELLA GENDARMERIA”, the years “1816-2016” and the name “CITTA’ DEL VATICANO”.

The design

The national side depicts a Vatican gendarme in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Along the upper edge of the inner part of the coin, the inscription “CORPO DELLA GENDARMERIA” and the years “1816-2016” are embossed in a semicircle. Along the lower edge, the name of the issuing state, “CITTA’ DEL VATICANO”, appears in a semicircle. The mint mark “R” appears to the left of the design, while the artist’s name “D. Longo” is engraved to its right.

The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.

Background on the topic

The origins of the corps lie in the reorganization of the Papal States (Kirchenstaat) following Napoleonic rule. In 1816, Pope Pius VII established a papal Carabinieri Corps. In the restored Papal States, it was to ensure public security, prosecute criminal offenses, and enforce state order. Its organization was based on the police forces emerging at the time in several European states, which were structured along military lines.

With the end of the Papal States and the capture of Rome by Italian troops in 1870, its tasks and area of operation changed fundamentally. From then on, the Pope no longer controlled the former territory. It was not until 1929 that the Lateran Treaties between the Holy See (Heiliger Stuhl) and Italy created the sovereign state of Vatican City. Within this small territory, the Gendarmerie assumed police and security functions.

In the course of a reorganization under Pope Paul VI, several papal armed corps were disbanded in 1970. However, the police duties continued under different organizational designations. Since 2002, the unit has once again been known as the Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State.

The Gendarmerie must be distinguished from the Pontifical Swiss Guard (Päpstliche Schweizergarde). The Swiss Guard is a military corps and is primarily responsible for the personal protection of the Pope as well as guard and ceremonial duties. The Gendarmerie, by contrast, performs the duties of a state police force. These include maintaining public order, criminal investigations, traffic control, border and access controls, and assisting in the protection of the Pope and Vatican institutions. It also cooperates with Italian and international security authorities.

The commemoration therefore refers not only to a single police unit, but also to the history of state administration from the territorially extensive Papal States to present-day Vatican City. The anniversary provided an opportunity to highlight the institutional continuity of the Vatican security forces and their role in exercising state sovereignty.