Italy 2009 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth
200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth
Louis Braille (4 January 1809 - 6 January 1852) was a French educator and inventor of a reading and writing system for use by people who are visually impaired. His system remains virtually unchanged to this day and is known worldwide simply as braille. Braille was blinded at the age of three in one eye as a result of an accident with a stitching awl in his father's harness making shop. Consequently, an infection set in and spread to both eyes, resulting in total blindness.
The coin depicts a hand reading an open book by touch. The index
finger points at a vertical inscription ‘LOUIS BRAILLE 1809-2009’ and two birds
in flight above the hand symbolise freedom of knowledge. The monogram of the
Italian Republic, ‘RI’, is at the top right, while the mint mark ‘R’ is at the
bottom right. Braille’s name is written under the book in the alphabet that he
invented. At the very bottom are the initials ‘MCC’ of the artist Maria Carmela
Colaneri. The 12 stars of the European Union are shown on the outer ring.
Weight - 8.5 g.
Quality - UNC (Uncirculated)
Diameter - 25.75 mm.
Composition - Bimetallic - nickel brass clad
nickel center in copper-nickel ring
Circulation - 2'000'000 pcs.
Country of origin - Italy
Year of release - 2009
