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150 Lire Banco di Sicilia
| Issuer | Banco di Sicilia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976-1977 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Brown letterpress text printed over a pale red underprint, with an ornamental vignette centred on the note. The full promissory legend of the Banco di Sicilia's Genova branch is set out across the face, dated 2 April 1976, naming the Associazione del Commercio e del Turismo della Provincia di Genova as payee. Series designation appears at lower left in brown, with the serial number in black. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANCO DI SICILIA vale lire 150 BANCO DI SICILIA il presente titolo può circolare soltanto in italia Ass. Commercio e Turismo Genova (Translation: Bank of Sicily Value 150 Lire Bank of Sicily This note may circulate only within Italy. Association of Commerce and Tourism, Genova) |
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| Comments |
The Banco di Sicilia's 150 Lire note exists because Italy's coin shortage of the mid-1970s became severe enough that regional institutions stepped in to fill the gap. Rampant hoarding of metal coinage — driven partly by the rising value of the copper and nickel content relative to face value — left everyday transactions short of small change. Emergency paper substitutes at coin denominations were authorized across the country, issued by banks, municipalities, and even some commercial entities.
SIACA, based in Cento near Ferrara, handled printing for several of these emergency issues. The 150 Lire denomination itself is a curiosity — an awkward figure that reflects real-world pricing pressures of the period rather than any conventional monetary logic.