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1 Lira Allied Military Currency
| Issuer | Allied Military Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Lira (1 ITL) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse presents a pink-red guilloche underprint panel enclosed within a light blue decorative border with foliate corner ornaments. The denomination numeral "1" appears in black at each corner, with the large central legend "1 LIRA" printed in bold black letterpress over the underprint. The inscriptions "ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY" run along the top border, "ISSUED IN ITALY" is positioned in the upper centre, and "SERIES 1943" appears twice flanking the central field, with the serial number printed in red at the lower centre. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| 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. |
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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.