2022–2023 Italy €5 Flavors of Italy 4-pc Set BU

Celebrating The Flavor Of Italy

The connection between wine and food has long been a passion of foodies, and nowhere is the practice of enogastronomy—the art of knowing how to pair wine with food—been observed with more zeal than in Italy where delicious combinations of pasta, pizza, cheese, and wine have been handed down generation after generation through the centuries transmitting the values and essence of being Italian. Not only that, but each region in Italy boasts its own specialties, giving visitors to the home of the Roman emperors a delicious and mouthwatering variety of food and wine.

Brilliant Uncirculated Coins With Selective Colorization

In honor of this rich history, the Italian State Mint introduced the “Cultura Enogastronomica Italiana” (Italian Food and Wine Culture) series in 2020. Each issue is dedicated to a specific region and showcases famous monuments in the background with culinary treasures standing out in color. Each copper-nickel legal-tender €5 (five Euros) coin comes in Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) condition and comes housed in a themed in blister card that includes information about the region and the food and wine featured on the coin. Here you can secure a four-piece set of 2022- and 2023-dated “Flavors of Italy” coins that pays tribute to the Lombardy, Puglia, Veneto, and Lazio regions

• Franciacorta Cake And Panettone Wine – This 2022-dated “Flavors of Italy” coin that pays tribute the Lombardy Region shows Franciacorta and Panettone. Lombardy is a small region in north-central Italy that encompasses Milan. On the reverse you can see the colorized image of Panettone and a glass of Franciacorta. Panettone is a dome-shaped sweet bread or cake made with flour, raisins, and candied fruit. Franciacorta is a sparkling wine made using the same technique and grapes as Champagne. On both sides of the coin are important Lombard monuments: the Milan Cathedral and its famous rose window, the skyline of famous local buildings, and stylized Guelph battlements typical of local castles.
• Orecchiette Pasta And Primitivo Wine – The 2022-dated “Flavors of Italy” coin that pays tribute the Puglia Region shows Primitivo and Orecchiette. Puglia is a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s “boot.” On the reverse you can see the colorized image of Orecchiette and a glass of Primitivo. The word “orecchiette” means “little ears” and it is a typical pasta from Puglia often served with rich, creamy sauces and a variety of meat and rustic vegetables. Its small, indented shape makes it perfect for scooping extra flavor into every bite. Primitivo is a red wine grape variety that is also known as zinfandel. The coin’s obverse shows the Trulli dwellings of Alberobello. These limestone structures date back to the mid-14th century and are characteristic of Puglia buildings. Also shown are a stone wall, olive branch, a dolphin with waves, and inscriptions that read: “PUGLIA” and “REPUBBLICA ITALIANA.”
• Granseola And Prosecco Wine – This 2023-dated “Flavors of Italy” coin that pays tribute the Veneto Region shows Prosecco and Granseola. Veneto is a northeastern region of Italy that stretches from the Dolomite Mountains to the Adriatic Sea where Venice is its capital. On the reverse you can see the colorized image of Granseola alla veneziana and a glass of Prosecco. Granseola alla veneziana is a traditional Italian dish originating from Venice consisting of spider crab meat, salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley, and olive oil. Originating from Veneto’s Valdobbiadene area, Prosecco is a sparkling wine closely related to champagne that’s made from Glera grapes. The coin’s obverse shows the winged Lion of Bassano del Grappa—a famous symbol of the Vento region—and the Villa Almerico Capra.
• Amatriciana Sauce And Frascati Wine – The 2023-dated “Flavors of Italy” coin that pays tribute the Lazio Region shows Frascati and Amatriciana. Lazio is a central Italian region bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea and home to Rome, Italy’s capital and heart of the ancient Roman Empire. On the reverse you can see the colorized image of pasta covered in Amatriciana sauce and a glass of Frascati. Amatriciana is a spicy, tomato-based sauce that has guanciale (cured pork cheek) in it. Frascati is a wine made mostly with Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes. It’s typically low alcohol and quite fragrant, making it a very pleasant and drinkable wine. The coin’s obverse shows a Roman aqueduct, pine trees, maritime creatures from the Baths of Neptune.

Hard-To-Find Limited Editions

Coins from Italy’s State Mint are not widely available in North America given that the mint ships only into Europe and small portions of Asia. Due to our connections in the coin world, we were offered the opportunity to cherry-pick the most popular offerings from the Italian State Mint for distribution in North America! Just 15,000 of each Flavors of Italy Coins were ever released, so don’t wait, order your four-piece set now!