2019-08-31 Sat

Italy is a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline. This country has left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s "David" and Brunelleschi's Duomo; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital.

Due to its central geographic location in Europe and the Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to a myriad of peoples and cultures. Italy has a major advanced capitalist mixed economy, ranking as the third-largest in the Eurozone and the eighth-largest in the world. Italy is the world's sixth largest manufacturing country.

The lira (plural “lire”) was the currency of the country during various intervals of its history. From the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy between 1807 and 1814, the Albanian Kingdom between 1941 and 1943 to the introduction of the Euro, Lira was the official currency of Italy. It was subdivided into 100 centesimi.

Today we are discussing a 10,000 Lire banknote that was issued from 1962 to 1973. The obverse depicts the bust portrait of Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer Michelangelo; Head of Medusa* (Caput medusae). The reverse features the Piazza del Campidoglio, by Michelangelo, on the top of Capitoline Hill, with the facade of Palazzo Senatorio in Rome. This pastel coloured note has the Head of David, sculpted by Michelangelo as its watermark.

Image Courtesy: Numisbids