chiara Principe

ABOUT ME

Chiara Principe

Photo by Paolo Giannotti

I am an Italian coin & medal artist. 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. 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. My artistic training took place there, where after a three-year degree I also gained my first work experience taking care of the Mint’s artistic productions. 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 artwork, brought me closer to the art of coins, so much to choose it as my work.
In 2012 I started my freelance career from scratch, with everything to build and a lot to prove. Over time I developed my technique by mixing traditional and digital art to achieve the best and fastest result.
Traveling and keeping me constantly up to date 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 (click to learn more). In this first great world meeting for coin designers I gave a speech on the aesthetics of coin design, and I had the honor of attending the jury of the first Shanghai Coin Design Competition, getting in touch with many excellent colleagues from all over the world. 
Collaborating with institutional and private clients while exploring both traditional and contemporary themes has been a powerful catalyst for my growth. Each project presents unique challenges that test my adaptability, including tight delivery schedules. This dynamic experience has been invaluable in shaping my professional skills and confidence. Having signed euro circulating coins for the Vatican City and the state of Luxembourg, collaborating with the Swiss Mint, and designing for prestigious companies in the industry such as the East India Company and Samlerhuset Group is something that encourages me to work hard to be worthy of the trust I have received. That’s why I’m always open to new challenges and collaborations: explore my website to learn more about my ispirations and my way of working.

I am an Italian coin & medal artist. 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. My artistic training took place at the Art School of the Italian Mint, where after a three-year degree I also gained my first work experience taking care of the Mint’s artistic productions. It was a world completely new to me, which slowly became more and more important in my life. In 2012 I started my freelance career from scratch: over time I developed my personal technique by mixing traditional and digital art to achieve the best and fastest result.

Collaborating with institutional and private clients while exploring both traditional and contemporary themes has been a powerful catalyst for my growth. Each project presents unique challenges that test my adaptability, including tight delivery schedules. This dynamic experience has been invaluable in shaping my professional skills and confidence. Having signed euro circulating coins for the Vatican City and the state of Luxembourg, collaborating with the Swiss Mint, and designing for prestigious companies in the industry such as the East India Company and Samlerhuset Group is something that encourages me to work hard to be worthy of the trust I have received. That’s why I’m always open to new challenges and collaborations: explore my website to learn more about my ispirations and my way of working.

Chiara Principe

MY WAY OF WORKING

I guide my clients through the entire artistic process of their desired product, starting from the design concept to the execution of the model, across four clear steps.

 

1) Listening to the client getting to the heart of his desires, needs and deadlines, and exploring the technical characteristics of the specific product to be realized

2) Studying the chosen theme and developing the first ideas and quick sketches

3) Discussing with the client to review the submitted proposals and define together the product’s final design

4) Creating a hand-made model of the required product, then providing the plaster mold or its STL digital scan. This process allows me to make the design relief look fresher and more vivid, impressing my artistic touch.

Chiara Principe

I guide my clients through the entire artistic process of their desired product, starting from the design concept to the execution of the model, across four clear steps.

 

1) Listening to the client getting to the heart of his desires, needs and deadlines, and exploring the technical characteristics of the specific product to be realized

2) Studying the chosen theme and developing the first ideas and quick sketches

3) Discussing with the client to review the submitted proposals and define together the product’s final design

4) Creating a hand-made model of the required product, then providing the plaster mold or its STL digital scan. This process allows me to make the design relief look fresher and more vivid, impressing my artistic touch.

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 

2025

  • 100-Fr Gold Commemorative Coin “100 Years of the 100-Franc Vreneli” – Swissmint

  • 5 Euro commemorative coin “Mirror Orchid” – Republic of San Marino

  • 1 oz silver coin – Lunar Year Series “the wood snake” – Asahi Refining Florida LLC

  • 1 oz gold & silver ingot “the wood snake” – Asahi Refining Florida LLC

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