Description and research notes
Engraved vignette die proof of 'Standing Italia,' later integrated into the 250 Lire specimen of the Banca Italo-Germanica (1871–72, PS976). The allegory, modeled on classical prototypes, depicts Italia standing with shield and spear, emblematic of the country’s newly achieved unification and Rome’s designation as capital in 1871. Pulled directly from the master plate by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., this die proof captures the engraving in its purest state—sharp, uninked margins, and untouched by printing wear.
Such vignette proofs were normally destroyed after approval, making survivors extraordinarily rare. This example not only preserves a key work of BWC’s export artistry but also documents the cultural urgency of Italy’s post-unification imagery. Before being framed within the oversized 250 Lire banknote, the design stood alone as an emblem of national identity in visual form. For collectors, it offers both the raw artistry of 19th-century steel engraving and a tangible fragment of Italy’s monetary nation-building project.