Arms of Pope Francis (2017 - 2025)

The national side of the coin shows the arms of Pope Francis, Head of State of Vatican City. The Rome Mint mark 'R' appears at the lower left and the current year of issue at the lower right. The state name Città del Vaticano indicates the coin's country of issue.

The coat of arms of Pope Francis centres on the emblem of the Jesuit order (IHS), to which he belongs, accompanied by a star symbolizing Mary and a spray of nard referring to Saint Joseph. His papal motto, "Miserando atque eligendo" (roughly "by having mercy and by choosing him"), refers to the calling of the tax collector Matthew and reflects Francis's emphasis on mercy as central to his pontificate. Unlike his predecessors, Francis deliberately dispensed with the traditional papal tiara in favour of a simpler bishop's mitre, in keeping with his image as a pope of humility.