Bank.notes

Collection Italy #714

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10 Lire Lira (ITL)

Italy 1943 1946_1989 VG P-M4 Needs review ✦ AI 55%
blurrylow_lightmismatched_pair
Front · IMG_6744.jpeg cropped
Back · IMG_6745.jpeg cropped
Pair check: not yet checked
Identity

Where & when

Country Italy
Currency Lira (ITL)
Denomination 10 Lire
Series name Allied Military Currency
Series year
Issue year 1943
Era 1946_1989
Legal status demonetized
Predecessor currency
Successor currency Lira (Republic of Italy series)
Subjects & design

What's on the note

Front portrait
Reverse subject
Watermark
Color palette #d4b896,#8b7355,#f5deb3
Themes military
Language / script Latin

Front: Allied Military Currency 10 Lire note issued for use in Italy during World War II. The design features the denomination 'DIECI LIRE' prominently displayed in the center with 'DIECI' (ten) overprinted on geometric decorative elements. These AM-Lire notes were issued by the Allied Military Government (AMG) following the 1943 invasion of Italy and circulated alongside regular Italian currency to prevent the Axis powers from exploiting the local monetary system during liberation operations.

Back: The reverse features the text 'Credito Italiano' with '100' in a box at upper right (a security feature showing this is an overprinted 100 Lire base note revalued to 10 Lire), the denomination 'Lire cento' and location text 'a SPAR' (SPAR being a branch indicator). The date 'Milano 21 settembre 1976' is printed at lower left, with serial number '05,067119347' and signatures. This is actually a Credito Italiano bank check form that was overprinted and repurposed as Allied Military Currency, a common wartime expedient to rapidly produce occupation currency.

Production

How it was made

Issuer Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories
Issuer (native)
Printer Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company (Boston)
Engraver
Material paper
Dimensions (mm) 117x63

Security features: microprint,intaglio

Geography

Italy in Europe

Italy in Europe. Other countries on the same continent shown in muted grey.

The story

Background & history

This is Allied Military Currency (AM-Lira) issued for Italy during and after World War II, 1943–1950. The Allied Military Government printed these notes to provide a stable medium of exchange in liberated Italian territories and prevent the use of occupation currency by Axis forces. The front is clearly AMG issue with 'DIECI LIRE' denomination. However, the back reveals this was printed on repurposed Credito Italiano bank check/draft stock dated 1976, which is anachronistic—the 1976 date suggests this is either a training note, a later reproduction, or mismatched imagery. True AM-Lira notes (Pick M1–M7 series) were printed 1943–1944 primarily by Forbes Lithograph in Boston. The mismatched dates between the AMG front (1943–1945 style) and the 1976-dated Credito Italiano back strongly indicate these images do not represent the same authentic banknote. Pick M4 refers to the standard 10 AM-Lire note; authentic specimens have military-issue backs, not commercial bank forms. Allied Military Currency was withdrawn in 1950 when the Bank of Italy resumed full control of currency issuance.

Catalogue

Collector references

Pick # M4
Krause ID
Rarity tier common
Series range 1943–1950
Provenance

How it came to me

Acquired date
Acquired from
Acquired price
Currency
Condition
Grade VG
Serial number 734103
Serial suffix 0588

Heavy circulation wear, multiple folds, staining, and creasing throughout. Paper shows significant age discoloration and handling damage. Ink stamps visible on front.

Valuation

What it's worth now

$5–$15
Type default range $5–$15
Valuation history (1)
datelowhighcurrencysourcenote
2026-05-10 09:36:13 5.0 15.0 USD ai from claude-sonnet-4-5
Technical

History & extractions

AI extractions (2)
anthropic · claude-opus-4-5 2026-05-10 09:36:13
status: ok · step 2 · $0.2016 · 7363↓ + 1216↑ tokens
anthropic · claude-sonnet-4-5 2026-05-10 09:36:13
status: ok · step 1 · $0.0423 · 7363↓ + 1349↑ tokens
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