Italy, Republic, Rome mint, designer: Laura Cretara, 1990 AD.,
500 Lire (25,8 mm / 6,85 g), bimetallic: bronze alloy (bronzital) center in stainless steel (acmonital) ring, mintage 130.000.000 ,
Obv.: REPUBBLICA ITALIANA * / CRETARA , female winged head facing left (bigger head type), designer´s name below truncation.
Rev.: ⠨⠇⠄⠼⠑⠚⠚⠄/ L. 500 // R - 1990 , Piazza del Quirinale with the statue of the Dioscuri, flanked by wheat ear (on l.) and olive sprig (r.); value in Braille on top for blind people.
Edge: alternating smooth and reeded segments.
KM 111 .
more details about this type and the issue on: http://www.aratrice.it/catalogo/repubblica/500-lire-bimetallico-repubblica/?lang=en
This 500 Lira type was the first bimetal coin minted in the world.
It´s also the world’s first coin to be issued with Braille on the reverse. The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.
Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman.