10 Centesimi - Napoleon I

Napoleon's Italian kingdom required a complete monetary overhaul after its proclamation in 1805, with the new decimal system deliberately mirroring the French franc structure to ease economic integration across occupied territories. The low-denomination billon issues were workhorses of everyday commerce in the Po Valley, handling transactions that silver and gold simply weren't minted for at sufficient volume.

The .200 fineness — barely silver at all — was a deliberate choice, not a concession. It discouraged melting while keeping production costs low enough to flood the market with small change.