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20 Lire - Victor Emmanuel II
| Issuer | Kingdom of Italy |
|---|---|
| Year | 1861-1878 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed, bearded effigy of King Victor Emmanuel II facing left, with finely engraved hair and prominent side-whiskers characteristic of the monarch's portrait. The engraver's name FERRARIS appears in small lettering below the truncation of the bust. The circular legend VITTORIO EMANUELE II curves along the upper periphery, while the date is placed in the lower exergual area. The portrait is rendered in a detailed, neoclassical style within a toothed border. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | VITTORIO EMANUELE II FERRARIS 1864 |
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| Additional information |
Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed King of Italy in March 1861, and the new kingdom needed coinage fast. The 20 Lire gold piece was the natural anchor — it fit directly within the Latin Monetary Union framework that France, Belgium, and Switzerland were formalizing, a deliberate political calculation by the Italian treasury to integrate with European commercial networks from the outset.
Turin's Regio Zecca struck the earliest pieces before production shifted progressively to Milan and Rome as those facilities came under unified Italian administration. The 1861-T mintmark issues from Turin are notably scarcer than later dates.