Papal lira

Last updated
Papal lira
lira pontificia (Italian)
Papal States 20 Lire.png
20 lire
Unit
Nickname franc
Denominations
Subunit
120 soldo (s.)
1100 centesimo (c.)
Coinsc.1, s.12,
s.1, s.2, s.4, s.5, s.10
L.1, L.2, L.2+12, L.5
Rarely usedL.10, L.20, L.50, L.100
Demographics
Official user(s) Flag of the Papal States (1808-1870).svg Papal States
Unofficial user(s) Flag of France.svg France
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Italy
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco
Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra
Issuance
Mint Papal Mint
Valuation
Pegged with French franc
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

The lira was the currency of the Papal States between 1866 and 1870. It was subdivided into 20 soldi, each of 5 centesimi.

Contents

History

In 1866 Pope Pius IX, whose temporal domain had been reduced to only the province of Latium, decided to join the Latin Monetary Union. A new currency, the lira, was introduced with the same value of the French franc and the Italian lira. It replaced the scudo at a rate of 5.375 lire = 1 scudo : the rate was calculated thanks to the silver value of the old scudo (26.9  grams of 0.900 fine silver[ citation needed ]) and the new lira (5  grams of 0.900 fine silver). However, some time[ when? ] after joining the Union, the Pope's treasurer, Giacomo Antonelli, devalued the purity of the Papal silver coins from 900/1000 to 835/1000, [1] causing big problems for the Union, which later was forced to adopt the new standard.[ citation needed ] With the annexation of the Papal States to Italy in 1870, the Papal lira was replaced by the Italian lira at par.

The lira was subdivided into 100 centesimi and, differently from the other currencies of the union, into 20 soldi. However, all denomination in soldo had an equivalence in cents.

Coins

Copper coins were issued in denominations of c.1, s.12, (c.2+12), s.1 (c.5), s.2 (c.10) and s.4 (c.20), with silver s.5 (c.25) and s.10 (c.50), 1, 2, 2+12 and 5 lire, and gold 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lire.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Monetary Convention of 23 December 1865 was a unified system of coinage that provided a degree of monetary integration among several European countries, initially Belgium, France, Italy and Switzerland, at a time when the circulation of banknotes in these countries remained relatively marginal. In early 1866, it started being referred to in the British press as the Latin Monetary Union, with intent to make clear that the United Kingdom would not join, and has been generally referred to under that name and the acronym LMU since then. A number of countries minted coins according to the LMU standard even though they did not formally join the LMU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian lira</span> Former currency of Italy

The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. It was introduced by the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy in 1807 at par with the French franc, and was subsequently adopted by the different states that would eventually form the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. It was subdivided into 100 centesimi, which means "hundredths" or "cents". The lira was also the currency of the Albanian Kingdom from 1941 to 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian scudo</span> A coin

The scudo was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin scutum ("shield"). From the 16th century, the name was used in Italy for large silver coins. Sizes varied depending on the issuing country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vatican lira</span> Former currency of the Vatican City

The lira was the currency of the Vatican City between 1929 and 2002. It was not a separate currency but an issue of the Italian lira; the Banca d'Italia produced coins specifically for Vatican City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sardinian lira</span> Currency of the Kingdom of Sardinia

The lira was the currency of the Kingdom of Sardinia between August 6, 1816, and March 17, 1861.

The florin was the currency of Lombardy-Venetia between 1862 and 1866.

The lira austriaca was the currency of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuscan florin</span>

The Tuscan fiorino was the currency of Tuscany between 1826 and 1859. It was subdivided into 100 quattrini, a local currency made by four denari. There was an additional denomination called the paolo, worth 40 quattrini, in circulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuscan lira</span> Currency of Tuscany

The lira was the currency of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until its annexation by Napoleonic France in 1807. After that year, it unofficially remained in circulation thanks to its silver value until the restoration of Tuscan independence in 1814. It was finally abolished in 1826.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman scudo</span> Currency of the Papal States until 1866

The Roman scudo was the currency of the Papal States until 1866. It was subdivided into 100 baiocchi, each of 5 quattrini. Other denominations included the grosso of 5 baiocchi, the carlino of 7+12 baiocchi, the giulio and paoli both of 10 baiocchi, the testone of 30 baiocchi and the doppia of 3 scudi.

The lira was the distinct currency of Venice until 1848, when it was replaced by the Italian lira. It originated from the Carolingian monetary system used in much of Western Europe since the 8th century CE, with the lira subdivided into 20 soldi, each of 12 denari.

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The lira was the currency of the Republic of Lucca until 1800 and again of the Duchy of Lucca between 1826 and 1847. It was subdivided into 20 soldi, each of 3 quattrini or 12 denari.

The lira was the currency of the mainland part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, known as the Kingdom of Naples, between 1812 and 1813.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parman lira</span> Currency of Parma

The lira was the distinct currency of Parma before 1802 and again from 1815 to 1859.

The Papal Mint is the pope's institute for the production of hard cash. Papal Mint also refers to the buildings in Avignon, Rome, and elsewhere that used to house the mint.

The scudo was the currency of the island Kingdom of Sardinia until 1816.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piedmontese scudo</span> Currency of Piedmont, Savoyard Kingdom of Sardinia

The scudo was the currency of the Piedmont and the other mainland parts of the Savoyard Kingdom of Sardinia until 1816.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of coins in Italy</span> History of currency and coinage in Italy

Italy has a long history of different coinage types, which spans thousands of years. Italy has been influential at a coinage point of view: the medieval Florentine florin, one of the most used coinage types in European history and one of the most important coins in Western history, was struck in Florence in the 13th century, while the Venetian sequin, minted from 1284 to 1797, was the most prestigious gold coin in circulation in the commercial centers of the Mediterranean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genoese lira</span> Currency of the Republic of Genoa from 1138 to 1797

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References

  1. Pinchera, S (a cura di) (1957). Monete e zecche nello stato pontificio dalla restaurazione al 1870[Coins and mints in the papal state from the restoration to 1870]. Archivio economico dell’unificazione italiana. Vol. V, fasc. 3. Roma.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) (cited in Rossi, Marinella (2013). La borsa di Roma dal 1847 al 1860 [The Rome Stock Exchange from 1847 to 1860](PDF) (Thesis) (in Italian). Tesionline. p. 1. (first degree thesis))