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Leaving
Lire Behind...
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An
affectionate look at the Italian lira and thoughts
on the Euro to come . . .
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 From
March 2002 Italians will have to start multiplying
by 1936.27 as the good old lira steps down,
leaving room for the newly crowned King of Europe,
the aptly named Euro.
There'll not be a dry eye in the house as Italians
bid farewell to their
trusted friend, to the Ancient Roman
annals and to Charlemagne's reformation (who declared
the libbra as the official currency). Goodbye
‘Italian lira’ consecrated since the Unification
of Italy in 1861. Gone, but not forgotten by collectors
or by Italy's collective historical
iconography.
Currency in the Republic (from 1946 to our days)
A quick look at the lira through the years and
gives you an idea of modern Italian history. The
first
series of coins minted by the Republic
- designed by the artist Giuseppe Romagnoli and
the engraver Pietro Giampaoli - was characterised
by symbols of peace and reconstruction, of a country
with strong links to its agricultural roots: Pegasus,
an olive branch, an ear of corn, a
bunch of grapes and the personification of
the Republic holding the torch of liberty.
The second
series of coins go into circulation
in 1951 and are still considered legal tender (although
some of coins are now out of mint). The new symbols
reflect a new age of optimism following the economic
boom and the industrialisation of the country: a
horn of plenty, representing prosperity;
Vulcan, the Roman god of fire; Minerva,
goddess of wisdom and the arts; and scales,
the classical symbol of justice.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The good was the 500 lire coin minted
in 1982and is the only coin in the world with its
value written in braille. It was the first
of a series of two-coloured coins.
The bad was the new Europe of the 1000 Lire
coins, with pre-1989 borders (drawn up before the
fall of the Berlin Wall).
The ugly must go to the tiny 50 and 100 lire
coins minted in 1989, and which were taken out of
circulation in October 200o, much to everyone's
relief.
Collector's items
Coin
collectors will surely have two special
coins in their collections
- the silver 500 lire coin minted in 1974 to commemorate
the birth of Guglielmo Marconi, and the one
dedicated to Michelangelo the following year.
Moving towards the Euro On March 1st
2002 we will be saying out final farewells to the
lira, as it leaves circulation forever. Don't worry,
those of you with your piggy banks full of coins
still have ten years to change your money
in the Banca d’Italia.What will the new money
be like? Crisp new banknotes, ranging in value
from 5 to 500 Euros – as well as a variety of shiny
coins. Each country will have its own personalised
coin, with Italy claiming Dante Alighieri, Marcus
Aurelius, Leonardo da Vinci's 'Vitruvian Man' and
a variety of famous monuments including the Colosseum
and Turin's Mole Antonelliana.
What advantages can we expect? Holidays abroad
should be less expensive with no more commissions
to pay in the bank and headache-free when it comes
to totting up the bills... However don't throw away
your calculators just yet . . . you may still need
them until you get used to the new currency. A
word of advice: in the run up to the switch
over watch out for forged lira as counterfeiters
will be trying their hardest to get rid of all their
old supplies before they become totally worthless.
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| by
ELENA
GUARNERI |
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September
2001
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
