10 000 Lire

This high-denomination note was introduced in 1947 as Italy was still reconstructing its monetary framework after the devastation of the war and the occupation-era inflation that had made smaller denominations nearly worthless. The 10,000 Lire represented serious purchasing power — roughly equivalent to a skilled worker's monthly wage at the time of issue — which kept it largely out of everyday retail circulation and confined it to commercial and interbank transactions.

Printed in-house by the Banca d'Italia's own security printing works in Rome, the series ran through 1950 before being superseded. Hoarding was common at this denomination, which paradoxically means worn examples carry more genuine circulation history than pristine ones.