Italy 1988R San Giovanni Bosco 500 Lire Brilliant Uncirculated (MS63)

Italy 1988R San Giovanni Bosco 500 Lire Brilliant Uncirculated (MS63)

This coin was issues to commemorate the centenary of the death of San Giovanni Bosco (Saint John Bosco). Bosco was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, and founder of the Salesian Society, dedicated to helping poor and at-risk youth in 19th-century Turin. Known for his gentle approach to discipline, he developed the “Preventive System,” which emphasized reason, religion, and kindness rather than punishment. Bosco believed education and vocational training were key to giving young people a hopeful future, and his schools and workshops provided both moral guidance and practical skills. Canonized in 1934, he is remembered as a tireless advocate for youth and is the patron saint of apprentices, students, and educators.

Obverse: A portrait of San Giovanni Bosco facing forward, with the country name around, and engraver name below.
Reverse: A man and a woman, holding a plant in her right hand, building a brick wall with a child seated at their feet reading a book, with the denomination below, date and mint mark on either side of the figures, and the legend around.

Specifications:
Engraver: Maurizio Soccorsi
Composition: 0.835 Silver
Weight: 11 g
Diameter: 29 mm
Edge: Smooth with raised inscription
Die Axis: ↑↓
Mint: Rome, Italy
Mintage: 51,000