130 Scudi

The Sacro Monte della Pietà di Roma was one of the oldest pawnbroking institutions in Europe, established in 1539 under papal authority to provide low-interest loans to the poor as an alternative to usurious moneylenders. By the eighteenth century it had evolved into a significant deposit bank, issuing fede di credito — essentially bearer certificates — that circulated as de facto currency among merchants and the Roman nobility.

The 130 Scudi denomination is an odd figure, almost certainly reflecting the face value of a specific pledged asset rather than a round monetary unit, which points to this note's origins in collateralized lending rather than orthodox banking.