Vatican City Italy 20 Lire {1970-1977} 2S

Paul VI 

FEATURING
front: Crowned shield

gold and silver crossed keys 

The coats of arms of the Holy See and Vatican City State in the form that combines two crossed keys and a tiara used as a coat of arms of the Holy See have origins attested from the 14th century. The combination of one gold and one silver key is somewhat later.

The coat of arms of Vatican City State, a sovereign entity established by the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929, was adopted by the Fundamental Law of the new state on 7 June 1929 and has its coat of arms defined by law as having the golden key in bend and the silver key in bend sinister.

The keys refer to the promise of Christ to Peter, "I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven." They are a symbol of the power the Catholic Church believes that Christ gave to Saint Peter and his successors, with the gold key signifying that the power reaches to heaven and the silver key that it extends to all the faithful on earth, the interlacing indicating the linking between the two aspects of the power, and the handles of the key being at the base to symbolize the power being in the hands of the pope.

Lettering: * PAVLVS * VI * P.M. * A.IX * MCMLXXI *

back: Red deer (Binomial Name: Cervus elaphus) with waterfall 

Lettering:
* * CITTA' DEL * VATICANO *
* L.20 *

Translation:
Vatican City
20 Lire

In Christian symbology, the image of the stag drinking from a spring symbolizes the seeking by the soul of the purification of baptism.  The stag has been held as the enemy of Satan due to the belief that they ate serpents and would drink from a stream to neutralize the venom of the serpent.  It was also believed that the stag would shed its antlers after drinking from a spring, thus it became a symbol of rejuvenation.

• quantity 1
• demonetized {no longer in circulation} polished Aluminium-bronze coin
• diameter: 21.25 mm
• weight: 3.6 g

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• 24” brass ball chain {2.5mm thick, lightweight 5 g}
• no chain or cord
• 2-1/2" brass snake keychain with snap end {see last photo} 

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Vatican City Italy Rome coin pendant necklace Italian jewelry crossed keys red deer Holy See Roma Pope Paul VI  Roman Catholic church Christianity Apostolic Papal Palace bishop papacy episcopal diocese Ecclesiology St Peter's Basilica Capitoline Hill Raphael Rooms Lateran Palace Borgia Apartment Sistine Chapel Cappella Sistina Paolina Pontificia Jesus Christ