Collection PL

About

By 1871–72 Italy was politically unified on paper but economically fragmented. The capture of Rome had completed the Risorgimento, yet terre irredente still lay outside the borders, literacy remained patchy, and provincial commerce relied on a patchwork of banks and currencies. The lira, newly declared the national unit, was still asserting itself against entrenched local issues. Security printers in London, Paris and Turin were asked to supply designs that projected stability and modern creditworthiness for a state still proving itself.

For collectors, this moment survives most clearly in specimens and proofs. These retain margins, imprints and watermark experiments that were stripped away once circulation began. They document the ambitions of private issuers and the aesthetic vocabulary of the early lira: heavy lathe-work, allegorical vignettes, and oversized layouts that looked forward rather than back to the provincial past.

The set below frames that transition from several angles: the bold, oversized Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire specimen (1871–72); Bologna’s odd-denomination Credito Agricolo 30 Lire specimen (1869, Serial No.0001); and the Gem-grade Credito Fondiario 50 Lire specimen (1866). For early-Kingdom context, the Banco di Napoli “Fede di Credito” specimen (ND 1868; template credit certificate, 50–200 Lire range) shows how engraved fedi di credito coexisted with later private-bank layouts—less scarce than the Bologna pieces, but an important bridge between 19th-century credit instruments and unified lira-era design.

12 results · Page 1 of 1
Italy 1871–1872 Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire specimen, Pick S976s, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 64 Top Pop

Italy 1871–1872 - Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Specimen (Pick S976s)

Produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London during the early stages of their European expansion, the engraving reflects a transitional moment in BWC’s development from commercial engravers into one of the world’s premier security printers. The deeply cut guilloches, vast empty margins, and sculptural allegory of Standing Italia exhibit a sophistication rarely seen on private Italian issues of the period. BWC’s design language of the 1870s-ornate, aspirational, and technically ambitious-foreshadows the company’s later dominance in colonial and European banknote engraving. As an artifact of design history alone, this note marks one of the earliest intersections between British engraving expertise and the newly unified Italian state. Read more →

ItalySpecimen1871250 LirePMG 64 (Top Pop) Private BankOversizedSpecimenDouble Punch HolePunch Cancelled250 LireEngraved Security PaperProof and Archive PieceBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S976sItalian StatesPost Unification ItalyItalian Banking HistoryFailed Banknote IssuesGerman Capital in Italy19th Century FinanceNational AllegorySecurity Printing HistoryRome Banking ExperimentsUnissued Banknote ProjectItaly1871PMG 64Top PopR9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade
Held
Italy 1871 Germania with shield and spear vignette die proof engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson for the Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire (Pick PS976)

Italy 1871 - Standing Italia Vignette Die Proof used on Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire

The engraving is executed in dense, finely controlled linework, with extensive cross-hatching used to model the figure, clothing, shield, architectural background and decorative frame. The large vertical format allowed the vignette to function as a substantial independent design element while retaining sufficient detail for later incorporation into a complex security-printed composition. Read more →

ItalyVignette1871-Uncirculated Italia AllegoryDie ProofBanca Italo-Germanica250 LireItalian StatesBradbury WilkinsonBWCItaly1871
Held
Italy ND (1868) Banco di Napoli Fede di Credito specimen, ICG 60 AU/UNC

Italy 1868 - Banco di Napoli Fede di Credito 50–200 Lire Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Specimen Fede di Credito from the Banco di Napoli, engraved by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. during the early years of the unified Kingdom of Italy. The Banco di Napoli traced its roots back to charitable institutions founded in 1539, making it one of Europe’s oldest surviving banks. Rather than circulating currency in the strict sense, these fede di credito served as deposit receipts payable on demand, functioning as quasi-banknotes that circulated regionally as trusted paper. Read more →

ItalySpecimen186850–200 LireICG 60 AU/UNC Pick-UnlistedBradbury WilkinsonBWCSpecimenItalian KingdomBanco di Napoli50 lire200 lireItaly1868
Held
Italy 1869 Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire specimen serial number 0001 printed by Bradbury Wilkinson and Company PMG 63 Top Pop

Italy 1869 - Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

No issued examples have been confirmed in the market or institutional records, and this specimen stands as the only known surviving example of the type, making it a cornerstone reference for the series. Read more →

ItalySpecimen186930 LirePMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Top Pop Serial Number 0001 SpecimenAgricultural Credit NoteCredito AgricoloCassa di Risparmio in BolognaPrivate Banking InstrumentControlled Credit IssueOdd Denomination30 LireBradbury Wilkinson and CompanySecurity PrintingGuilloche EngravingBlue UnderprintPortrait MedallionIssuance PanelItalian Banking HistoryPost Unification ItalyNineteenth Century FinanceAgricultural Credit SystemHistoryItaly1869Pick UnlistedPMG 63Top PopUniqueR9 Extremely RareMuseum Grade
Held
Italy 1869 Bradbury Wilkinson engraved portrait vignette used directly in the Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire banknote design

Italy 1869 - Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Portrait Vignette (Bradbury Wilkinson and Company)

This engraved portrait vignette was produced by Bradbury Wilkinson and Company as a direct design component for the 1869 Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire issue. It is not a generic engraving but the exact portrait element incorporated into the final banknote, forming part of the original production chain of the note itself. Read more →

ItalyVignette1869Not ApplicablePMG Certified VignettePortrait VignetteEngraving ProofIntaglio EngravingBradbury Wilkinson and CompanySecurity PrintingDesign ElementBanknote ProductionCredito AgricoloCassa di Risparmio in Bologna30 Lire30 Lire IssueCompanion PieceLinked ArtifactItalian Banking HistoryPost Unification ItalyNineteenth Century FinanceHistoryItaly1869Pick UnlistedR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade
Held
Italy 1866 Credito Fondiario di Bologna 50 Lire specimen, PMG 66 EPQ

Italy 1866 - Credito Fondiario di Bologna 50 Lire Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The note’s oversized layout is striking, with ornate guilloché and multiple coats of arms symbolizing the pre-unification states of Italy. This heraldic display was already becoming obsolete by the 1860s as national identity consolidated, making this design a rare vestige of Italy’s regional past engraved onto its financial instruments. Wide margins, full color, and archival cancellations confirm its specimen status. Read more →

ItalySpecimen186650 LirePMG 66 EPQ (Top Pop) OversizedSpecimen ProofProofSpecimenPrivate BankItalian StatesPick UnlistedTop PopPMG 66 EPQ50 lireBradbury WilkinsonBWCItaly1866
Held
Italy 1871 Germania with shield and spear vignette die proof engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson for the Banca Italo-Germanica 500 Lire design

Italy 1871 - Germania with Shield and Spear Vignette Die Proof Used on 500 Lire (Pick PS977)

Bradbury Wilkinson’s engraving demonstrates the firm’s distinctive nineteenth-century intaglio technique. The figure is modeled through tightly controlled parallel linework and cross-hatching, creating sculptural depth while maintaining the clarity necessary for secure banknote reproduction. The surrounding ornamental frame combines classical scrollwork and architectural symmetry typical of Bradbury Wilkinson vignette design, providing a stable visual structure into which the denomination tablet and bank title were integrated. Read more →

ItalyVignette1871-PMG Certified (Vignette Proof) VignetteVignette ProofIntaglio PrintSteel EngravingBanknote EngravingGermania AllegoryGermania with Shield and SpearFemale Personification of GermanyImperial Eagle ShieldBradbury WilkinsonBWCSecurity Printing19th Century EngravingEngraving Approval StageBanca Italo-GermanicaItalo-German Banking RelationsEuropean Banking HistoryGerman Unification EraItaly1871500 LirePS977Museum Grade
Held
Italy 1870 Banca Toscana di Anticipazioni e di Sconto 2 Lire Pick Unlisted PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Italy 1870 - Banca Toscana di Anticipazioni e di Sconto 2 Lire (Pick Unlisted)

These cashier’s notes formed the short‑term liquidity layer of Italy’s regional banking scene in the 1860s–1870s, sitting between coin and larger banknotes. They were meant to circulate locally and be redeemed at the issuing bank’s counter, which is why most survivors are heavily used or cancelled. Unlisted in Pick, the type documents how private banks bridged payments before national note‑issuing policy consolidated in the late 19th century. Read more →

ItalyPrivate Bank Cashier’s Note18702 LirePMG 64 Choice Uncirculated ItalyPick UnlistedBanca Toscana2 LirePrivate Bank NoteFlorence1870Cashier’s NoteUnlisted
Held
Italy 1781 Regie Finanze di Torino five scudi front proof sheet with two impressions from plate 1 and plate 2, visible plate numbers, deep intaglio bite, unique surviving proof sheet

Italy 1781 - Regie Finanze di Torino 5 Scudi Front Proof Sheet (Pick Unlisted)

The absence of serial numbers, signatures, and circulation markings establishes that this sheet was never intended for public issue. Its survival preserves complete production context, including margins, spacing, and plate alignment, elements that are irretrievably lost once notes are separated or trimmed. Read more →

ItalyProof17815 ScudiUncirculated ProofFront ProofProof Sheet5 ScudiRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate NumberedPlate 1Plate 2Kingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1781Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueUnique Proof Sheet
Held
Italy Regie Finanze di Torino 100 lire back proof sheet in pre-date control state from plate 2, full margins, undated control framework

Italy 1745 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Pre-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

This pre-date control state survives as a complete and independently preserved proof impression. Its preservation as a full sheet records an early control stage within the production of the one hundred lire issue, prior to the addition of dated and fully populated legal text on later control impressions. Read more →

ItalyBack Proof1745100 LireUncirculated ProofBack ProofPre-Date Control State100 LireRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate 2Control FrameworkKingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1745Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniquePick Unlisted
Held
Italy Regie Finanze di Torino 100 lire back proof sheet dated 1746 from plate 2, showing crowned Savoyard shield, laurel wreath, denomination cartouches, full legal text, and complete ornamental frame

Italy 1746 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Fixed-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

The sheet format preserves full margins and original plate context, confirming that the impression was never prepared for circulation or cutting. No serial numbers, handwritten entries, signatures, or issuance markings are present. This fixed-date back proof sheet therefore records a finalized control stage within the production process of the one hundred lire issue while remaining a non-issued proof artifact. Read more →

ItalyBack Proof1746100 LireUncirculated ProofBack ProofFixed-Date Control State100 LireRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate 2Control FrameworkKingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1746Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare
Held
Italy Regie Finanze di Torino 100 lire front proof sheet from plate 2 dated 1765 showing landscape vignette with Savoyard shield, obligation text panels, denomination inscriptions, and full ornamental frame

Italy 1765 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Front Proof, Final Face State (Pick Unlisted)

The sheet format preserves full margins and original plate context, confirming that the impression was never prepared for circulation or cutting. This front proof sheet records the finalized face design of the one hundred lire issue as prepared for state use while remaining a non-issued proof artifact. Read more →

ItalyProof1765100 LireUncirculated ProofFront ProofFinal Face State100 LireRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate 2Kingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1765Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare
Held
↑ Top