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20 Lire
| Issuer | Venice, Republic of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1848 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Lira (1848-1849) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | INDIPENDENZA - ITALIANA XI AGOSTO / MDCCCXLVIII |
| Reverse description | Within a finely detailed laurel wreath tied at the base, the denomination is displayed in two bold lines reading 20 / LIRE at centre field. The surrounding legend ALLEANZA DEI POPOLI LIBERI arcs around the upper and lateral margins, while the date 1848 appears in the lower margin flanked by two five-pointed stars. The wreath and open field give the design a restrained, republican character in keeping with the ideals of the Venetian provisional government. |
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| Additional information |
This coin was struck during the short-lived revolutionary government of the Repubblica di San Marco, which expelled the Austrian administration from Venice in March 1848 under Daniele Manin. The republic held out against Austrian siege and blockade for seventeen months — an extraordinary duration — before surrendering in August 1849. Coins were issued partly to assert governmental legitimacy and partly out of practical fiscal necessity as the siege tightened.
Mintages were small and survival rates are low, as the restored Austrian authorities had little incentive to preserve the currency of a defeated insurrection.