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50 Lire
| Issuer | Ministero del Tesoro (Italian Treasury) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1951 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, Rome, Italy (1928-date) |
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| Obverse description | Allegorical vignette of 'Italia Elmata' — a helmeted female personification of Italy — at left, rendered in intaglio against a light guilloche underprint with a faint cartographic motif. At centre, the denomination is stated in large letterpress text 'VALE CINQUANTA LIRE' above the three signature lines. The lower border carries the inscription 'BIGLIETTO DI STATO A CORSO LEGALE' flanked by the numeral '50' on both sides. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The denomination '50 LIRE' is set within an ornate intaglio cartouche framed by elaborate acanthus leaf scrollwork, fruit garlands, and draped fabric motifs, all executed in fine engraving on a pale guilloche background. Serial numbers appear in each corner. A cautionary anti-counterfeiting legend is printed to the right of the central vignette. |
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| Comments |
Italy's postwar Treasury notes — issued directly by the Ministero del Tesoro rather than the Banca d'Italia — filled the lower denomination gap left by coin shortages that persisted well into the early 1950s. This 50 Lire belongs to a series that the public treated essentially as small change, which means genuinely uncirculated survivors are harder to find than the print runs would suggest.
Two signature combinations are documented for Pick 91, reflecting routine personnel changes at the Treasury. The Bolaffi pairing is the more commonly encountered of the two.