Reverse Along the rim are inscriptions in Italian: at the top the name of the state - "CITTA DEL VATICANO" (Vatican City), at the bottom - "L.500" (500 lire). The central part features an engraving of hard labor: against the backdrop of a house, a woman holding a child, and a man plowing the land with a plow pulled by two oxen (bulls). On the left is the mintmark of the Rome mint, the Latin letter "R".
Obverse In the center is the right-facing profile of the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Along the rim from left to right runs a Latin text - "IOANNES PAVLVS II P.M.AN.IV MCMLXXXII" (John Paul II Supreme Pontiff 1982), below is the mark of the medallist Enrico Manfrini - E. Manfrini.