Catalog
2 Lire
| Issuer | Military Authority in Tripolitania |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943 |
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| Value | 2 Lire |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The note is printed in blue on a light background with guilloche underprint throughout. At left, an oval vignette encloses the numeral '2' over the word 'LIRE' within a decorative frame, while at right a second oval vignette bears a lion passant guardant atop a crown, the British royal heraldic device. The English inscription 'ISSUED BY THE MILITARY AUTHORITY IN TRIPOLITANIA' appears at top centre, with the denomination 'TWO LIRE' in large letters at centre, and an Arabic text panel running along the lower margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in blue and carries a single large central vignette of the numeral '2' set within an ornate cartouche surrounded by symmetrical acanthus-leaf scrollwork and fine guilloche lacework that fills the entire field. The word 'LIRE' appears beneath the numeral inside the cartouche. |
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| Comments |
Allied Military Authority currency for Tripolitania was produced as part of the broader AMC (Allied Military Currency) program following the British Eighth Army's capture of Tripoli in January 1943. These notes were introduced to replace Axis-issued currency and stabilize local commerce under occupation — a practical instrument of military administration rather than a banking product.
The series is closely related to the British Military Authority notes used simultaneously in other theatres, sharing the same general production approach. Distinguishing between genuinely circulated examples and those that passed straight into collector hands at war's end can be difficult; the occupation was relatively brief.