It’s likely that most coin collectors are unfamiliar with the output of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato and that’s a shame. They’ve produced some great Euro coins over the years and these are their latest two, both part of the Arts of Italy series. This series has been going since 2010 and comprises the release of a 5€ and a 10€ silver coin each year. This years pair continue the trend and both are limited to 7,000 pieces, sold individually.

They’re quite attractive pieces and should certainly appeal to those who like fine art on coins, especially those not coated in multiple layers of paint, gilding or crystals.

Within the successful series Italy of the Arts a 5 euro silver proof coin will feature this year Selinunte, an archaeological site on the south coast of Sicily, One of the most important among the Greek colonies in Sicily, it was finally destroyed by the Carthaginians during the First Punic War in 250 before Christ.

Of the several collapsed temples, only the Temple of Hera, also known as “Temple E”, was reconstructed in the 20th century, and it is represented on the obverse of the coin, while on the reverse is depicted a sculpture decoration with the myth of Perseus and the Medusa.

Country: Italy
Year: November 6, 2013
Face value: 5 Euro
Metal: Silver .999
Weight: 18 g
Size: 32 mm
Quality: Proof
Mintage: 7 000 pcs
Design: Annalisa Masini