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5 Lire - Vittorio Emanuele III Prova di stampa
| Issuer | Italian Somaliland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1925 |
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| Engraver(s) | Attilio Motti |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central shield bearing the arms of Italian Somaliland, surmounted by a royal crown and flanked by olive and palm branches tied at the base, above the denomination L. 5. The shield displays a stylised cityscape or battlement design in its lower half and a lion passant in the upper half, consistent with the heraldic arms of the colony. The inscription SOMALIA ITALIANA arcs across the upper field, with PROVA DI STAMPA (proof of printing/striking) appearing as a straight legend across the upper portion of the field, confirming the pattern status of this piece. The date 1925 is placed in the lower exergue. The design is executed with crisp, deeply struck detail befitting a presentation proof specimen. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Italian Somaliland's 5 Lire coinage was struck at Rome's Zecca under the colonial monetary framework established after Italy consolidated its grip on the territory in the early 1920s. The prova di stampa — a presentation strike produced for official approval before full production — places this piece among a tiny population of pre-release specimens that rarely escaped institutional hands. Pagani 405 confirms the attribution; surviving examples are almost invariably in institutional or advanced private collections.
The colonial 5 Lire series for Somaliland had extremely limited authorized mintages to begin with. A prova from this issue is not merely a grade curiosity — it is effectively a different artifact class from its circulation counterpart.