This 2012 silver medal marks the 85th birthday of Pope Benedict XVI, a native of Germany. Joseph Alois Ratzinger was born on 16 April 1927 in Marktl am Inn, so the round date fell in April 2012.

Ratzinger was elected pope on 19 April 2005 and took the name Benedict XVI. The medal was issued in the last full year of his pontificate: he resigned on 28 February 2013 and died on 31 December 2022 in the Vatican.

For a collector it is a memento of a specific date, the 85th birthday of a reigning pope, and a themed piece for a collection on Benedict XVI and the history of the Catholic Church in Germany.

It is a medal, not a coin, and has no face value. UNC grade means the medal shows no wear and keeps its original surface lustre; only minor storage marks are possible.

This item is part of the VPcoins catalogue, where medals, sets and banknotes sit alongside coins.