10 Lire - Pius XII Prova

Prova issues from the Vatican's Officina della Zecca were struck in minimal quantities — typically fewer than a handful of specimens — as presentation or approval pieces prior to official minting. This 1957 silver prova for Pius XII's pontificate falls within the final years of his reign; he died in October 1958. Whether the accompanying circulation issue differed from this approved design is the relevant question for specialists working this series.