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2 Bese - Victor Emmanuel III
| Issuer | Italian Somaliland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1909-1924 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central design featuring the denomination expressed in both Arabic numerals and Italian text within a circle, flanked by bilingual inscriptions identifying the issuing authority. The legend reads 'SOMALIA ITALIANA' in Latin script and its Arabic equivalent 'الصومال الإيطالي' surrounding the central value panel. The date and mint mark appear within the design, with the entire composition enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Italian Somaliland maintained a separate colonial coinage distinct from Eritrea and Libya, administered through the Benadir Company until Rome assumed direct control in 1908 — just before this denomination entered circulation. The bese was a subdivision calibrated to local trading conventions rather than imported whole from the lira system, an acknowledgment that the Horn of Africa commerce operated on its own terms.
The long production window spanning fifteen years masks significant gaps in actual striking; many dates within the 1909–1924 range were minted in very small quantities at Rome's Zecca, and several are genuinely scarce in any grade.