San Marino 10 Euros, 2006

10 Euros from San Marino. Issued in 2006. Struck in Silver (.925). Measures 34 mm and weighs 22 g.

Obverse

The three towers of San Marino with oak and olive branches.

Reverse

The piece represents the Three Graces, a famous work by Antonio Canova. The masterpiece is housed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The reference point for European figurative culture has always been ancient Greece. Aglalia, Eufrosine, Talia" were Greek divinities (protectors of artists). For neo-classical culture, the "Graces" were to be called "Pleasure According to Reason". The sculpture was commissioned by Bonaparte for Josephine, from Canova, who had already been chosen as the official sculptor of the Bonaparte family. The work was begun in 1812 and completed in 1816. On the back of the medal, the Three Graces are presented in head and shoulders, framed by a line that is open upwards.