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500 Lire Colombo - The landing
| Issuer | Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato |
|---|---|
| Year | 1992 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Lire (500 ITL) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Forward-facing bust of Christopher Columbus occupying the central field, rendered in high relief with finely detailed hair and period costume including a wide collar. A stylized crescent or ship's bow element arcs behind the portrait. A ship's helm (wheel) appears at the lower center, below the bust. The legend REPVBBLICA ITALIANA runs along the upper and lower periphery in incuse Latin characters, with the engraver's name DRIUTTI inscribed in the lower left field. A small five-pointed star appears to the right of the inscription. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPVBBLICA * ITALIANA DRIUTTI (Translation: Italian Republic) |
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| Additional information |
Issued to mark the 500th anniversary of Columbus's 1492 landfall, this coin was part of Italy's broader commemorative program tied to the Genoa Expo '92 world exposition, which itself was organized around the Columbian quincentenary. Italy had particular investment in the anniversary given the long-standing — if historically contested — claim that Columbus was born in Genoa around 1451.
The .835 silver fineness is a deliberate nod to historic Italian coinage alloy standards rather than the modern .925 used for most commemorative issues of the period.