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100 Lire 'Azzurrino' DECRETE seal
| Issuer | Banca d'Italia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | P#49 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCA D'ITALIA CENTO LIRE PAGABILI A VISTA AL PORTATORE IL DIRETTORE GENERALE IL CASSIERE RIN. BARBETTI INV. E DIS. E. BALLARINI INC. |
| Reverse description | Brown and ochre intaglio composition printed on a dense engine-turned guilloche underprint. At centre, the large numeral '100' is flanked by two oval vignettes: the left one is an unprinted watermark window, while the right contains an allegorical female figure standing beside a plinth with attendant putti, rendered in fine line engraving. A scrollwork cartouche at lower centre bears a circular seal inscribed with the ministerial decree reference, surrounded by a triumphal chariot group drawn by horses with additional allegorical figures. The inscription 'LIRE CENTO' appears in a panel at the upper centre, and the design is enclosed within a multiple-rule geometric border. |
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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.