100 Lire 'Littore' - Victor Emmanuel III Large issue, trial strike

The 100 Lire Littore series was conceived as a prestige issue under Mussolini's regime, the denomination itself a piece of Fascist branding — "littore" referencing the lictor's fasces that gave the movement its name. Full circulation strikes of the type are rare enough; trial pieces from the 1936 large module are dramatically scarcer, produced in minimal quantities for official approval and archive purposes rather than any commercial release.

Italy's gold coinage effectively ceased for public circulation after 1927 as the regime prioritized bullion reserves. By 1936, with the Abyssinian campaign draining the treasury, gold strikes of any kind were largely ceremonial.