Coin of the Year trophy goes to Italy
Italy claimed the 2017 Coin of the Year globe trophy Feb. 4 at an awards ceremony held at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany. The winning coin, a silver…
Italy claimed the 2017 Coin of the Year globe trophy Feb. 4 at an awards ceremony held at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany.
The winning coin, a silver 10-euro piece, marked the 70th anniversary of peace in Europe.
Artist-Sculptor-Engraver Maria Carmela Colaneri said, “Thank you very much for this fantastic award.”
She also explained her creative process.
“I tried to create continuity and establish a dialogue between the two sides of the coin by enriching them with appropriate symbols representing Italy, Europe and Peace.
“On the other side, I decided my composition to include the detail of the extraordinary medieval fresco, the Allegory of Good Government, painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, placed in Siena. It’s a woman in a rest position, melancholic but at the same time reassuring. She is the allegory of Peace that only good government can ensure.”
Joining Colaneri to accept the trophy from World Coin News Editor David C. Harper was Bruno Scarpellini, chief of the Italian Mint’s engraving department.
The Italian coin also won an obelisk trophy for the Most Artistic Coin.
The Most Historically Significant Award was accepted by Susan Dujmovic, member of the Royal Canadian Mint’s board of directors.
Best Contemporary Event Coin trophy was given to Hakaru Hyakushima, President of the Japan Mint.
Best Crown Award was presented to Sharon Henley, head of marketing at the British Royal Mint.
Trophies for Best Circulating Coin and Most Inspirational Coin were given to Jon Cameron, associate director of Numismatics and Bullion at the United States Mint.
Best Silver Coin and Best Bi-Metallic Coin honors went to Jonne Hankimaa, CEO of the Mint of Finland.
The Best Gold Coin trophy was given to Gerhard Starsich, CEO of the Austrian Mint.
The Most Innovative Coin trophy went to the Cook Islands. It was accepted by Heimo Steriti of CIT.
The Lifetime Achievement Award in Coin Design was given to Yu Min, a designer at the Shanghai Mint Co. Ltd. He could not be present. The trophy was accepted by Dr. Li Gang, Secretary of the Culture Department of Embassy of People’s Republic of China to the Federal Republic of Germany. Click here for more details.
This year’s COTY awards and ceremony were sponsored by World Coin News, the World Money Fair and The Journal of East Asian Numismatics.
This article was originally printed in World Coin News. >> Subscribe today.
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