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1 Lira Allied Military Currency

Issuer Allied Military Government
Year 1943
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Value 1 Lira (1 ITL)
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Reverse description The reverse is printed entirely in pale blue-green, with a central oval guilloche vignette bearing the text "ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY" within an ornate cartouche of scrollwork and foliate devices. The field is surrounded by concentric decorative borders composed of fine-line lathe work and repetitive floral ornaments. The four Freedoms inscriptions — referencing speech, religion, want, and fear — are distributed in the upper and lower margins as horizontal legends.
Reverse lettering FREEDOM OF SPEECH FREEDOM OF RELIGION ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY FREEDOM FROM WANT FREEDOM FROM FEAR
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Comments

Allied Military Currency for Italy was produced in the United States before the Sicily landings of July 1943, with the 1 Lira among the lowest denominations in the series. The BEP handled intaglio work while Forbes Lithograph took on the remaining production volume — a split-printer arrangement driven by sheer quantity demanded, not quality differentiation.

The Badoglio government and later Italian authorities deeply resented AMC notes, viewing them as inflationary instruments outside their control. That resentment was largely correct: the U.S. Army could requisition goods with currency it printed at will, and the resulting inflation in southern Italy was severe well before the war ended.

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