The Medals Buried with Pope Francis

Each pope leaves a legacy that includes the coins and medals issued during their papacy. When the cardinals elected Pope Leo XIV on May 9, 2025, they ushered in a new era for these numismatic pieces. With excitement growing in the United States and around the world, interest in Vatican City coins will likely rise as well.

Pope Francis II, Leo’s predecessor, died April 21. He left behind a fascinating numismatic legacy—one that many people may not know about. Before his burial, someone placed inside his coffin 12 medals, tucked into a small pouch, to represent every year of his papacy. Each medal reflects his work and passions through its theme, design, and inscriptions.

This story explores two of those medals—how they came to be and the acclaimed Italian coin designer who brought them to life.

Francis Coins & Medals 

Francis became pope in 2013, but his portrait didn’t appear on coins until 2014. The Italian Mint struck many thousands of euro-denominated coins—both circulating and non-circulating—for Vatican City, all featuring his image. Collectors and fans of Pope Francis continue to seek out these issues.

In 2017 Francis requested the removal of his portrait from the obverse of Vatican City coins and medals, asking instead to feature his papal coat of arms.

He originally adopted that coat of arms in 1991 when he became a bishop and later updated it for his papacy. Its Latin motto translates to “By having mercy, by choosing him”—a succinct reflection of his guiding philosophy.

Principe’s Perspective

Noted Italian coin designer Chiara Principe, based in Rome, has played a major role in shaping the numismatic legacy of Pope Francis. During his pontificate, she designed many of Vatican City’s bimetallic, copper, silver, and gold coins and medals.

After Francis died, Principe says people began asking if any of her medals were in his coffin.

She explains, “Apart from the shroud covering his face, only two things are laid inside and buried forever with him. These are two objects that testify to his life, who he is, and what he does for the Church and the world.” One is the rogito, a short document summarizing his life and pontificate. The other is a small bag holding one medal for each year he served as pope—12 in total.

Each of these Annual Pontifical Medals reflects a key theme or event from that year in the Pope’s magisterium. “At the end of the pontiff’s life,” Principe says, “these medals are collected in a small bag and placed in the coffin as testimony to his years as pope and his work.”

Principe describes how the Vatican’s State Secretary—not the Numismatic Office—organizes the art competition that determines each medal’s design. “Mostly young artists and scholarship students from the School of the Art of Medal in Rome are invited to participate,” she says. “Each year, the Vatican chooses a theme tied to the Pope or a major event. We submit our designs, and if one is selected, we create the plaster model. The Italian Mint then strikes the medal.”

These medals stand apart from others in the Vatican’s coin and medal program. “As far as I know, they’re the only ones the Pope chooses personally,” Principe says. “He reviews the sketches with his team and selects the final design. That alone makes the process incredibly exciting—just knowing the Pope might see your work is a huge honor.”

Which Medals?

Two of Principe’s medal designs included in the set placed in Pope Francis’s coffin are from 2014 and 2018. Each is struck in silver, gold, and copper, with a weight of 40g, a diameter of 44mm, and a limited mintage of 1,500 pieces per version.

The 2014 medal’s obverse depicts Pope Francis smiling and holding the hand of a young African boy. The inscription “C. Principe” appears on the arm of the papal chair, and a Latin legend above reads “Pope Francis Year II.”

Its reverse shows a young family—father, mother, son, and daughter—reading the Bible in front of a church. Above them appears an Italian inscription that translates as “Christian Family, Domestic Church.”

The 2018 medal features a reverse image of a young mother embracing one child. A second child gazes beyond the barbed wire enclosing them. A rose blooms at the center of the scene. The inscription above translates to “Nothing is lost with peace,” while below it reads “Everything can be lost with war.”

The obverse of the 2018 medal bears Pope Francis’s coat of arms, used on Vatican coins from 2017 to 2025. It includes a Latin inscription for “Pope Francis Year VI,” his papal motto—“By having mercy, by choosing him”—and the artist’s signature, “C. Principe.”

Together, these two medals reflect the warmth, compassion, and commitment to peace and family life that characterized Pope Francis’s pontificate. They remain a meaningful part of his numismatic legacy.