Celebrate sacred history with this high-relief bronze commemorative medal bearing the Latin legends “REDEMPTOR HOMINIS” and “IOANNES PAULUS II PONT. MAX.”. The moving Crucifixion scene and papal portrait showcase masterful Vatican artistry—an ideal addition for coin, medal, and devotional collectibles. Not legal tender.
Act now—select pieces move fast! Secure this scarce Vatican commemorative before it’s gone.
Historic theme: “Redemptor Hominis” is the first encyclical of the pontificate (1979), anchoring the medal to a milestone moment—high long-term collector interest.
Limited issues: Vatican annual medals are struck in small, controlled mintages (often only in the low thousands per metal/finish), creating natural scarcity compared with mass-market souvenirs.
Artistic quality: Deep relief and Latin legends make it display-worthy and instantly recognizable within papal medal series—desirable for set builders.
Potential appreciation: Demand for early-pontificate themes and low-mintage Vatican material tends to be resilient, especially in certified, undamaged condition and with provenance/packaging when available.
Collection synergy: Complements papal coins, holy year issues, and Catholic devotional medals—use it to anchor a “First Encyclical / Year I” display.
(Tip for listing: if you know the exact year/diameter/weight and whether it’s an Annual Medal “Anno I,” include that and the official mintage figure to highlight rarity.)
Sources & further reading (citations)
Encyclical context: Redemptor Hominis (1979), official text, The Holy See:
https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_04031979_redemptor-hominis.html
(Explains the theme referenced by the medal’s “REDEMPTOR HOMINIS” legend.)
Issuing authority & series info: Vatican City State — Philatelic & Numismatic Office (Ufficio Filatelico e Numismatico, “UFN”), overview of official medals/numismatic issues and their limited production:
https://www.vaticanstate.va/
(Navigate to “Philately and Numismatics” for annual medals and mintage data by year.)
Collector reference (typical mintages & varieties): Numista, a widely used numismatic database with pages for Vatican medals and annual papal issues:
https://en.numista.com/
(Search “Vatican medal Redemptor Hominis” or “Vatican annual medal” for comparable entries and reported mintages.)