Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
5 Lire Allied Military Currency
| Issuer | Allied Military Authority |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY 5 ISSUED IN 5 ITALY SERIES OF 1943 A CINQUE FIVE 5 FIVE LIRE SERIES OF 1943 A 5 5 |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | FREEDOM OF SPEECH FREEDOM OF RELIGION ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY FREEDOM FROM WANT FREEDOM FROM FEAR |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Allied Military Currency for Italy was produced by the United States and issued alongside the Allied advance up the peninsula beginning in 1943. The small-denomination series, including this 5 Lire note, was printed in enormous quantities to supply occupation forces and civilian populations simultaneously — a logistical requirement that meant print quality was deliberately kept simple and reproduction fast.
Forbes Lithograph, a commercial Boston printer with no prior government currency work, was brought in precisely because the volume required exceeded the capacity of more specialized facilities. The result was a note the Italian public widely distrusted, associating it with occupation scrip rather than legitimate money.