Reverse The central part features an illustration of the parable of 'The Good Samaritan': a man helping a wounded man in front of a horse. Along the left and upper edge of the coin is the country name in Italian 'CITTA’ DEL VATICANO'. On the right is '1000 lire' - 'L.1000'. At the bottom is the mint mark 'R' for Rome, Italy.
Obverse The central part depicts the Pope against a landscape, with a man kneeling before him. On the left is the coat of arms of Pontiff John Paul II. On the left, along the upper edge, is the text 'John Paul II Supreme Pontiff' in Latin - 'IOANNES PAVLVS II P.M'. On the right is 'A XVI' - the sixteenth year of his pontificate. At the bottom is the Gregorian year of issue in Roman numerals '1994' - 'MCMXCIV'. To the right of the year is the designer's mark of Angelo Canevari - 'A. CANEVARI - DRIUTTI INC.'.