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lira (Italian) | |
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![]() £1 coin depicting Charles Felix | |
Unit | |
Symbol | £ |
Nickname | franc |
Denominations | |
Subunit | |
1⁄100 | centesimo (c.) |
Coins | c.1, c.3, c.5 c.25, c.50, £1, £2, £5 |
Rarely used | £10, £20, £40, £50, £80, £100 |
Demographics | |
Official user(s) | ![]() |
Unofficial user(s) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Issuance | |
Mint | Turin Mint, Genoa Mint, Milan Mint |
Valuation | |
Pegged by | French franc |
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete. |
The lira (plural lire) was the currency of the Kingdom of Sardinia between August 6, 1816, and March 17, 1861. It was subdivided into 100 centesimi (singular centesimo) and was equal in value to the French franc (4.5 grams of silver), which had previously been used as the currency of the Kingdom of Sardinia, having replaced the Piedmontese scudo by 1801. Since the Sardinian lira was little more than another version of the French franc, it could circulate also in France, and the French coins could circulate in Piedmont (the mainland part of the Kingdom of Sardinia). The Sardinian lira was replaced at par by the Italian lira in 1861, as a consequence of the process of Italian unification. Similar to the majority of 19th century currencies, the Sardinian lira was not affected by significant episodes of inflation during all its existence.
In 1816, King Victor Emmanuel I issued silver £5 and gold £20 coins. Before his abdication in 1821, he also issued a new gold £80 coin.
King Charles Felix followed in 1821 and 1822 minting gold £40 and £80, respectively. He also expanded the new currency in Sardinia which, not having been conquered by Napoleon, had retained its Sardinian scudo. Silver c.50, £1 and £2 were added in 1823, followed by copper c.1, c.3 and c.5 in 1826, and silver c.25 in 1829.
Finally, King Charles Albert added new gold £10, £50 and £100 in 1832, while King Victor Emmanuel II continued his father's coinage.
On each coin, the ruling monarch was styled in Latin as King of Sardinia, Cyprus and Jerusalem by the Grace of God on the front side, and Duke of Savoy, Genoa and Montferrat, Prince of Piedmont et cetera on the back side.
The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription francorum rex used on early French coins and until the 18th century, or from the French franc, meaning "frank".
The lek is the currency of Albania. Historically, it was subdivided 100 qintars.
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. It was first 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.
The lira austriaca was the currency of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia.
The ducat was the main currency of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies between 1816 and 1860. When the Congress of Vienna created the kingdom merging the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of Sicily, the ducat became at par a continuation of the Neapolitan ducat and the Sicilian piastra issued prior to 1816, although the Sicilian piastra had been subdivided into 240 grana. In the mainland part of the kingdom, the ducat also replaced the Napoleonic lira.
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.
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+1⁄2 baiocchi, the giulio and paoli both of 10 baiocchi, the testone of 30 baiocchi and the doppia of 3 scudi.
The lira was the currency of the Papal States between 1866 and 1870.
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.
The scudo was the currency of Milan until 1806. It was subdivided into 6 lire, each of 20 soldi or 240 denari.
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. The currency was issued by Joachim Murat, who claimed the title of "King of the Two Sicilies" but only controlled the mainland part of the kingdom. Consequently, the currency is referred to as the "Neapolitan lira". It was subdivided into 100 centesimi and was equal to the Italian lira and French franc. It replaced the piastra, which circulated again following the restoration of Bourbon rule.
The lira was the distinct currency of Parma before 1802 and again from 1815 to 1859.
Cagliarese or callaresito is the name of a series of coins minted at Cagliari (Sardinia).
The scudo was the currency of the island Kingdom of Sardinia until 1816. It was subdivided into 2½ lire, each of 4 reales, 20 soldi, 120 cagliarese or 240 denari. The doppietta was worth 2 scudi. It was replaced by the Sardinian lira.
The scudo was the currency of the Piedmont and the other mainland parts of the Savoyard Kingdom of Sardinia until 1816. It was subdivided into 6 lire, each of 20 soldi or 240 denari. The doppia was worth 2 scudi. During the Subalpine Republic and French occupation (1800–1814), the French franc circulated, supplemented by a small number of locally produced coins. The scudo was replaced by the Sardinian lira.
The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom ofSavoy-Sardinia, Piedmont-Sardinia, or Savoy-Piedmont-Sardinia during the Savoyard period, was a state in Southern Europe from the early 14th until the mid-19th century.
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 florin, one of the most used coinage types in European history, was struck in Florence in the 13th century. Since Italy has been for centuries divided into many city-states, they all had different coinage systems, but when the country became unified in 1861, the Italian lira came into place, and was used until 2002. Today, Italy uses the euro.