For 3 years in a row, San Marino issues two annual coin sets. The Gino Bartali 2014 Blister contains a full set of circulating euros (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1, 2 euros), as well as a unique €5 silver coin honoring cyclist Gino Bartali
Born in Florence on July 18, 1914, Gino Bartali was a typical Tuscan: hard working, hard-headed and deeply religious. Although nicknamed “Gino the Pious”, Bartali was ruthless on the road. Early in his career, two famed Italian sprinters tried to box him in at the finish of a road race. Instead of going around them, he rode right between them, causing all three to crash in a bloody mess. After that, no one tried to box in Gino.
He was the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia three times (1936, 1937, 1946) and the Tour de France twice, in 1938 and 1948. In September 2013, 13 years after his death, Bartali was recognised as a "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem for his efforts to aid Jews during World War II. |