ROME, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Iconic Italian maestro Ennio Morricone will be honored with two styles of limited-edition commemorative five-euro coins, the Italian mint announced Wednesday.
Morricone, a composer and conductor best known for creating the eerie and memorable soundtracks for some of the best-known films from Italy and Hollywood, died last year at the age of 91.
Among Morricone's many honors as a composer and conductor were seven Oscar nominations. He was also nominated for seven Grammy Awards over a span of nearly 50 years. All told, Morricone composed more than 400 scores for film or television.
But appearing on currency will be a first for Morricone's storied career.
The coin, part of a wider "Great Italian Artists" series, will appear in two styles, both with a face value: one minted in sterling silver and the other a silver-copper bimetallic coin.
Though the coins will be legal tender, they are aimed squarely at the coin collectors' market, with just 8,000 coins made for the silver edition and 10,000 for the bimetallic version.
The design of both coins will feature Morricone in a pensive pose on one side with the words "Republica Italiana" skirting the edge of the coin, with Morricone's hands waving a conductor's baton on the other side, with his name and the year, 2021, around the edge.
Five euros is worth around six U.S. dollars. Enditem