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 | Lira (1861-2001) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| 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 | The reverse is printed entirely in blue-green on cream paper, dominated by a large ornate cartouche at centre with scrollwork and foliate borders enclosing the text 'ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY' in bold shaded letters. The four freedoms are inscribed in the four quadrants outside the cartouche: 'FREEDOM OF SPEECH' and 'FREEDOM OF RELIGION' at top left and right respectively, and 'FREEDOM FROM WANT' and 'FREEDOM FROM FEAR' at bottom left and right. A decorative scalloped border frames the entire design. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| 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.