Catalog
200 Lire Italian coin shortage issue
| Issuer | Cassa di Risparmio della Repubblica di San Marino |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Cream-tinted single-ply paper bearing the issuer's name 'CASSA DI RISPARMIO DELLA REPUBBLICA DI SAN MARINO' in bold letterpress across the upper portion, with the date '5 Aprile 1976' and denomination 'L. 200' at the upper right. The central field carries a handwritten-style italic bearer-cheque text with the denomination 'DUECENTO' rendered in large bold type below, accompanied by a faint circular seal vignette at centre-right. A manuscript signature appears at the lower right above the serial number, and a restriction clause notes the note's exclusive validity within the Republic of San Marino. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse of this single-ply note shows a bleed-through impression of the obverse letterpress text in light grey, appearing in lateral reverse orientation as a consequence of the paper's thinness rather than as an intentional security device. The denomination 'DUECENTO' and the issuer's name remain partially legible in mirror image, and the serial number is visible at the lower left. |
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| Comments |
During the mid-1970s, Italy suffered a chronic shortage of small-denomination coins — a mundane logistics failure with an unusual consequence. Several Italian savings banks, municipalities, and semi-sovereign institutions began issuing paper substitute tokens, technically outside normal banking law but tolerated by the Banca d'Italia under extraordinary circumstance. San Marino, drawing on its distinct legal status, issued this note through its savings institution rather than a state treasury, giving it a quasi-private character unusual even among the flood of Italian emergency issues from the same period.
Redeemable only within San Marino's limited commercial network, these circulated briefly and were rarely preserved intact — most were treated as disposable change.