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150 Lire Credito Artigiano
| Issuer | Il Credito Artigiano S.p.A. |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976-1977 |
| Type | Local banknote |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in dark brown on plain cream paper and serves as the endorsement (girata) side. At the top, the heading 'GIRATE' is set in spaced serif capitals, followed by the beneficiary identification 'STAR / Stabilimento Alimentare S.p.A.' and a manuscript endorsement signature. A tall vertical guilloche cartouche occupies the centre, bearing the bank's name in Gothic script rotated 90 degrees. At the foot, a two-line notice in bold capitals reads 'IL PRESENTE ASSEGNO PUO CIRCOLARE / SOLTANTO IN ITALIA'. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Fine guilloche lathe-work border and underprint pattern on the obverse; the reverse carries a central guilloche cartouche as an anti-counterfeiting design element. |
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| Comments |
In the mid-1970s, a severe coin shortage across Italy prompted hundreds of private firms, banks, and municipalities to issue miniassegni — small-denomination paper vouchers that functioned as fractional currency in everyday retail transactions. Il Credito Artigiano, a Milan-based cooperative credit institution serving artisans and small businesses, issued this 150 Lire note as part of that emergency wave. The practice was technically illegal but widely tolerated until the Banca d'Italia moved to suppress it in 1977-78.
Marco Spada & C., a Milanese commercial printer, produced the note — not a security press, which shows in the modest production values. The security border was essentially the only concession to anti-counterfeiting.