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1/2 Rupia - Victor Emmanuel III
| Issuer | Italian Somaliland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1910-1919 |
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| Composition | Silver (.917) |
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| Reverse description | Central field bears the denomination inscription MEZZA RUPIA in two lines of bold Latin letters, surmounted by a detailed royal crown. Below the Latin denomination, the Arabic equivalent نصف روپیه (Nisf Rupiyah, meaning Half Rupia) is inscribed in two lines. The central device is flanked on either side by decorative floral and foliate sprays. The colonial territory name SOMALIA ITALIANA curves along the upper legend, while the mint mark R· and date appear at the bottom, flanked by small star ornaments, all within a beaded border. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Italian Somaliland operated as a separate colonial monetary zone, and the rupia coinage issued there was pegged to the Indian rupee rather than the Italian lira — a pragmatic acknowledgment that the Horn of Africa trade economy ran on Indian Ocean commercial networks, not Mediterranean ones. The half rupia denomination served everyday transactions in a territory where Italian administrative reach was thin and coastal merchant culture dominated.
The .917 silver fineness matches the standard of British India coinage, which was not accidental.