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Italian lira: research record

Evidence coverage: 1816–2002. This is the span of collected observations, not the currency’s lifetime.

This record includes associated currencies and earlier interpretations. The article selects the evidence relevant to its own history.

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Currency continuity

Italian lira

FTM000247 · Research draft
One scoped currency identity. Changes to subdivisions, scale, standard, instruments or issuers do not by themselves create children. A distinct account unit can remain a successor.
Dated observations: 1816–2002; this does not establish the entire lifetime.

Parents / predecessors

Old Piedmont lira —20-soldi account unitaccount unit replacement · 1816–1826
↗
Genoese lira — commercial and fuori-banco accountaccount unit replacement · 1826–1842 · later absorption or contribution
↗

Children / successors

Euro — converging national replacementsnational currency converges into euro · 1999-01-01
↗
Tripolitanian Military Authority liraterritorial currency separation · 1943
↗
Unit and issue records 1 records

Evidence within this identity, not separate currencies.

Italian liraFTM000794 · C676, C677

Instruments, coinage & context

Supporting material, not parents or children.

Latin Monetary Union coinage standardmonetary standard · profile context

Latest research

Earlier account evidence

New Piedmont lira adopted as decimal account unit,distinct from the restored old20-soldi Piedmont lira.

Sources and qualifications →
Earlier account evidence

Royal edict26 October1826 requires new lira accounting in mainland territories.

Sources and qualifications →
Earlier account evidence

Piedmont lira is renamed Italian lira and extended territorially;retain one scoped continuity.

Sources and qualifications →
Earlier account evidence

Law788 art11 requires public accounts in Italian lire and extends mandatory denomination to private writings from1 January1863.

Sources and qualifications →

Account-unit observations

Dated evidence, not exact birth or extinction dates.

1816supported

New Piedmont lira adopted as decimal account unit,distinct from the restored old20-soldi Piedmont lira.

C1782
1826supported

Royal edict26 October1826 requires new lira accounting in mainland territories.

C1783
1861supported

Piedmont lira is renamed Italian lira and extended territorially;retain one scoped continuity.

C1784
1862–1863supported

Law788 art11 requires public accounts in Italian lire and extends mandatory denomination to private writings from1 January1863.

C1785
Monetary history 2 events

Includes dated issues, standards, subdivisions and institutional changes. Each event retains the source's date qualifications.

1999-01-01Euro monetary substitution

1 EUR = 1936.27 ITL. Italy: euro adoption 1999-01-01; cash 2002-01-01. Regulation 974/98 substitutes the euro for each participating state’s currency on its adoption date; cash changeover is separately defined.

C676, C677, C646
2002-01-01Euro cash changeover

Italy: euro adoption 1999-01-01; cash 2002-01-01.

C677
Evidence & research notes 9 claims

Dated observations, not a proven complete lifespan.

Supported C676

1 EUR = 1936.27 ITL.

Council of the European Union · Council Regulation (EC) 2866/98 — consolidation at 1 January 2026 Citation S348 · Open source ↗

art.1, Italy currency row; exact decimal retained

Source access and limitations

Article 2’s original 1999 commencement does not backdate later-added currencies.

Country-specific dates come from the separate 974/98 annex.

Supported C677

Italy: euro adoption 1999-01-01; cash 2002-01-01.

Council of the European Union · Council Regulation (EC) 974/98 — consolidation at 1 January 2026 Citation S347 · Open source ↗

Annex, Italy row; arts.2–3 provide substitution

Source access and limitations

Consolidation, not an as-made 1998 text.

National short cash-withdrawal periods and every accession amendment were not individually audited.

Supported C1681

Tripolitania replaced metropolitan Italian lire with the military-administration lira from 15 September 1943, withdrawing the former legal tender by 30 November; a few small Italian denominations remained instruments valued in MAL.

G. A. Blowers and A. N. McLeod · Currency Unification in Libya, IMF Staff Papers 2, pp. 439–467 (1952) Citation S815 · Open source ↗

Money and Banking, Tripolitania

Source access and limitations

Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.

Substantive full indexed passages inspected despite direct page 403: Italian metropolitan lira and BMA pound retired following MAL introduction 15 September 1943; ceased legal tender 30 November 1943, with low-denomination Italian pieces continuing accepted as MAL.

Supported C1782

New Piedmont lira adopted as decimal account unit,distinct from the restored old20-soldi Piedmont lira.

Giuseppe Felloni · Monete e zecche negli Stati Sabaudi dal 1816 al 1860,1956; reprinted 1998 Citation S935 · Open source ↗

p317

Source access and limitations

Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.

Supported C1783

Royal edict26 October1826 requires new lira accounting in mainland territories.

Giuseppe Felloni · Monete e zecche negli Stati Sabaudi dal 1816 al 1860,1956; reprinted 1998 Citation S935 · Open source ↗

pp317–319

Source access and limitations

Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.

Supported C1784

Piedmont lira is renamed Italian lira and extended territorially;retain one scoped continuity.

Banca d’Italia · Monetary unification chronology Citation S936 · Open source ↗

1861 entry

Source access and limitations

Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.

Supported C1785

Law788 art11 requires public accounts in Italian lire and extends mandatory denomination to private writings from1 January1863.

Italian legislature · Law24 August 1862, no788 Citation S934 · Open source ↗

art11

Source access and limitations

Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.

Supported C1802

Old Piedmont reckoning replaced by new lira;1826official equivalence1old=1.1875new.

Giuseppe Felloni · Monete e zecche negli Stati Sabaudi dal 1816 al 1860,1956; reprinted 1998 Citation S935 · Open source ↗

pp317–318

Source access and limitations

Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.

Supported C1803

Genoese outside-bank account unit prohibited1826;1842contracts documented settlement in legal new lire at1Genoese=0.833new.

Giuseppe Felloni · Monete e zecche negli Stati Sabaudi dal 1816 al 1860,1956; reprinted 1998 Citation S935 · Open source ↗

pp318–319

Source access and limitations

Not a complete origin, lifespan or current-status audit.

Supported C646

Regulation 974/98 substitutes the euro for each participating state’s currency on its adoption date; cash changeover is separately defined.

Council of the European Union · Council Regulation (EC) 974/98 — consolidation at 1 January 2026 Citation S347 · Open source ↗

arts.1, 1a, 2–3

Source access and limitations

Consolidation, not an as-made 1998 text.

National short cash-withdrawal periods and every accession amendment were not individually audited.

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