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500 Lire Guglielmo Marconi
| Issuer | Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato |
|---|---|
| Year | 1974 |
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| Composition | Silver (.835) |
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| Reverse description | A stylized cartographic design depicting the Italian Peninsula and its neighboring countries, surmounted by concentric semicircular arcs representing radio waves emanating from transmission towers, commemorating Marconi's pioneering work in wireless telegraphy. The denomination L 500 appears to the left of center, and the Rome mint mark R is positioned to the right. The centenary dates 1874-1974 are inscribed along the lower portion of the field, and the legend GVGLIELMO MARCONI arcs around the upper periphery. |
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| Edge | Lettered |
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| Additional information |
This coin commemorates the centenary of Marconi's birth in 1874. Italy had long been protective of Marconi's legacy as a national figure, despite the awkward historical reality that much of his transformative transatlantic work was conducted from British and Canadian soil, and that his later career included a close association with Mussolini's Fascist regime — he joined the Fascist Grand Council in 1930 and remained a loyal supporter until his death in 1937.
Mintage was split between circulation strikes and a smaller proof issue. The .835 silver content was already being phased out of Italian coinage by this point, making this among the later commemoratives struck to that fineness.