chiara Principe

ABOUT ME

Chiara Principe

Photo by Paolo Giannotti

I’m an Italian coin and medal artist. I love drawing and modeling, and I am constantly on the lookout for Harmony and Beauty in everything around me: from coins to landscapes to my beloved family. I’m from Rome, so I was born and bred into beauty and harmony! My most important aim is to bring them into my designs and sculptures, as in my life and relationships.
Love for art, craft and creativity have always been part of me. But I would have never thought to put my creativity in the numismatic field, before my encounter with the Art School of the Italian mint, an exclusive and ancient school located in Rome. By winning the admissions competition as the first in the rankings, a world opened up in front of me. It was a world completely new to me, which slowly became more and more important in my life: the charm and the challenge of communicating art and concepts within a small metal round shaped artwork, brought me closer to the art of money and medal, so much to become my main work, between national and most of all international clients. Chiara Principe

In these 10 years as a freelancer, my passion, as well as the comparison with artists and colleagues from all over the world, have always encouraged me to continue with tenacity: traveling and keeping me constantly up to date, and challenging myself have enriched my resume much more than any other important commissions. A fundamental experience in this regard was the participation in the first Coin Design Forum, held in Shanghai in November 2019. The first great world meeting for designers in this fascinating sector was a more unique than rare opportunity to get in touch with many excellent colleagues from all over the world, and to look together at the future of the art of coin. In this great event I gave a speech on the aesthetics of coin design and the impact of new technologies on it, and I had the honor of attending the jury of the first Shanghai Coin Design Competition. The great emotions and precious lessons I learned from this experience will remain alive in me for a very long time.Chiara Principe

I am an Italian coin & medal designer and sculptor. I have been working in the Numismatic field since 2010 by taking care of the design up to the realization of models for the issue of coins and  medals, for private and institutional clients.

Art has always been part of me: I fell in love with drawing and modeling at once, up to decide to continue my artistic training at the Italian Mint, where I also gained my first work experience.

Since 2012 onwards, more than 10 years as a freelancer have made me discover and love my job in every aspect, from the relationship with the customers to the most creative aspect of artistic creation, as well as the technical one. I’m always interested in new collaborations and I love working with great versatility both on the traditional projects and on the most modern and innovative ones, combining the Italian artistic tradition with the most recent execution techniques.

Among my main collaborations are: the Bank of Luxembourg, the Sumlerhuset Group, The East India Company, Power Coin, the Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City, for whom I regularly work.

Chiara Principe

MY WAY OF WORKING

I accompany my clients along the entire creative process of the requested product, from the design concept to the realization of the plaster model for the minting, through 4 simple steps:

1) Listening to the client, in order to get to the heart of his wishes and purposes.

2) Studying the chosen theme and the technical characteristics of the product, and development of the first preparatory ideas and sketches

3) Discussing with the customer to define the final design

4) If required, providing a hand-made realization of the plaster model needed for the minting.

If you are a private client, I’m glad to direct you towards the company or mint most suitable for the realization of the project, and to provide some advice until the complete realization of the product.

The client is actively involved in every step and is encouraged to intervene at any time to build together the best result possible.Chiara Principe

Chiara Principe

I accompany my clients along the entire creative process of the requested product, from the design concept to the realization of the plaster model for the minting, through 4 simple steps:

1) Listening to the client, in order to get to the heart of his wishes and purposes.

2) Studying the chosen theme and the technical characteristics of the product, and development of the first preparatory ideas and sketches

3) Discussing with the customer to define the final design

4) If required, providing a hand-made realization of the plaster model needed for the minting.

If you are a private client, I’m glad to direct you towards the company or mint most suitable for the realization of the project, and to provide some advice until the complete realization of the product.

The client is actively involved in every step and is encouraged to intervene at any time to build together the best result possible.Chiara Principe

Chiara Principe

Visit my Portfolio

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

Chiara Principe has designed several coins for Power Coin and working with her is simple and pleasant. Chiara puts passion in all creative phases and thanks to her talent the result has always exceeded expectations.
We are sure that our collaboration will last a long time, at the moment she is the first choice when we look for a designer of a new coin or a series.

Chiara is not only an important partner of Power Coin, but first of all she is a friend who is always welcome to our company.
Keep it up, we have a long way to go together and many successes to share!

POWER COIN

The Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Republic of San Marino has been collaborating for several years with the artist Chiara Principe and appreciates in a particular way her whimsicality, attention to detail and dynamism of the compositions.

UFFICIO FILATELICO NUMISMATICO SAN MARINO

The Vatican City State Mint has entrusted the creation of many coins to the artist Chiara Principe in the last decade. Of her works we appreciate above all the expressive freshness and great versatility with which over the years she has successfully addressed the most varied themes.”

VATICAN CITY STATE MINT 

2024

2023

  • 2 euro circulating coin – Central Bank of Luxembourg – 25th anniversary of the admission of Gran Duke Henri as a member of the International Olympic Committee
  • 1oz Lion Taled Cash Coin– Treasures of India Collection Series – EIC
  • 1oz silver coin – Lucky Angel collection – EIC
  • 1oz Snow Leopard Cash Coin – Treasures of India Collection Series – EIC
  • 1oz silver & gold proof and BU coin – Modern US Trade Dollar – EIC
  • 1 oz silver coin – Lunar Year Series “the wood dragon” – Asahi Refining Florida LLC
  • 1 oz gold & silver ingot “the wood dragon” – Asahi Refining Florida LLC
  • 5 Euro commemorative coin  “the geotriton” – Republic of San Marino
  • 5 Euro commemorative coin – Birth of Prince Francois
  • 25 Euro rectangular silver coin – Perugino

 

2022

 

2021 

 

2020 

 

2019

 

2018

 

2017

 

2016

  • 200 Euro Gold coin – series of The Cardinal Virtues: “Justice” – Vatican City

 

 

2015

  • 20 Euro Gold coin – Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei – Vatican City
  • 2 Euro commemorative coin – World Meeting of Families – Vatican City
  • Philatelic issue dedicated to the 7th World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia in 2015 – Vatican City

 

2014

 

2013 

  • 10 Euro Silver coin – World Day of Prayer for Vocations – Vatican City
  • Wax replica of the Saint Nicholas statuette which was missing in the high-reliefs of the silver altar inside the St. Nicholas Crypt in Bari – collaboration with the workshop C. Usai on its restoration.
  • Design of the philatelic issue dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan  (2 stamps in a sheet) Republic of San Marino

 

2012

  • Design and creation of models for two bronze plaques established as a gift of representation of the Pontifical Council for Culture 

 

2011

  • Annual medal of Pope Benedict XVI 2011 (winner of the competition)
  • Participation in the exhibition “The splendor of Truth, the beauty of Charity”, tribute of artists to Pope Benedict XVI for the 60th anniversary of his priestly ordination (Vatican City, Atrium Paul VI Audience Hall, July 5 – September 4, 2011) with the exposition of the sketch, the model and the silver medal of the seventh year of pontificate.

 

2007 

  • Participation in the celebratory exhibition for the centenary of the School of the Art of Medal (1907-2007) at the Vittoriano Complex in Rome, with the exposition of some chalcographic engravings

CONTACT

Chiara Principe - Coin designer