100 Lire 'Azzurrino' DECRETE seal

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.