Principe, Chiara
Chiara Principe is an acclaimed Italian artist, sculptor and coin designer from Rome. Class of 1987, she studied sculpture and then coin and medal making at the famous School of the Art of the Medal, both in her hometown. Her career was launched after she was a finalist in a 2007 Japanese Mint design competition with a project on global warming and the Kyoto Protocol.
She has been a freelance coin designer for several major world and private mints since 2012, and her work has appeared on the coinage of many countries.
Some designs from Chiara Principe’s extensive and diverse portfolio. Photo: Chiara Principe.
Her designs often celebrate feminine beauty and explore themes such as women, wildlife, and the earth. They are widely admired for their originality, dynamism and versatility, combining a fresh, modern touch with the elegance of the Italian art & numismatic tradition. Chiara is best known for her numerous coins, medals and stamps for Vatican City and the Republic of San Marino since 2012. Since 2019, she has also worked for Powercoin in Italy. Her “Evil Within” series began with her groundbreaking Pandora’s Box piece issued for Palau in 2019. In the same year, her participation as a speaker at the inaugural Coin Design Forum, held in Shanghai, marked a turning point in her career.
Photo: Chiara Principe.
Since 2020, she has created designs for the East India Company in London, issued for St. Helena. They include a neoclassical platinum jubilee piece for the late Queen Elizabeth II. Then there are her two series: Modern Trade Dollars, inspired by the original trade dollars of the 19th century, and her Lucky Angel series, inspired by the French 20-Franc gold angel design of Augustin Dupré. Since 2022, Chiara has been working permanently on special numismatic issues of the Central Bank of Luxembourg, for which she has signed several 2-euro coins.
Photo: Chiara Principe.
Her most recent work includes the “100 Years 100-Franc Vreneli” gold coin, officially presented by Swissmint at the 2025 World Money Fair, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the famous Gold Vreneli and available in a limited mintage by July 1.
For more than 10 years, Chiara’s passion for numismatic art has driven her to continually seek new inspiration through participation in international coin shows & conferences, sharing ideas, collaborating with diverse clients, and connecting with fellow artists from around the world.
One of the stars of the 2025 World Money Fair: “100 Years 100-Franc Vreneli”.
