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100 Lire 'Azzurrino' DECRETE seal
| Issuer | Banca d'Italia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926 |
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| Designer(s) | Rinaldo Barbetti |
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| Obverse description | Blue-toned intaglio design dominated by a large ornate capital 'B' at upper left, flanked by allegorical figures — a reclining female figure at lower left and a standing male figure at right — each accompanied by decorative cartouches bearing anti-counterfeiting notices. The central field carries the denomination 'CENTO LIRE' in bold letterpress above the bearer clause, with an oval watermark window at right; at lower centre, a small orange-printed medallion vignette bears a female portrait in profile. The issuer title 'BANCA D'ITALIA' arches across the top within an elaborate guilloche border, with serial number and series designators in the upper corners. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | LIRE CENTO 100 DECRETO MINISTERIALE DEL 30 LUGLIO 1896 |
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| Comments |
The "Azzurrino" nickname comes from the pale blue tint of the note's paper stock, distinguishing this series from the earlier greenish issues. Barbetti's design work for the Banca d'Italia was extensive across this period, and Ballarini's engraving is characteristically fine, but what actually matters about this particular note is its administrative designation: the DECRETE seal variant places it within a specific authorization framework tied to post-WWI monetary reorganization legislation rather than the standard gubernatorial issue cycle.
Surviving examples with the DECRETE seal are considerably scarcer than the parallel ROMA issues. The 1926 date sits just ahead of the major Quota 90 revaluation crisis Mussolini imposed in 1927, which disrupted circulation patterns for notes already in the pipeline.