Description and research notes
This uncut front proof sheet represents the five scudi denomination prepared for the Regie Finanze of the Kingdom of Sardinia and dated Torino il primo Luglio 1781. It is a true proof-stage production sheet and constitutes the only currently documented multi-impression sheet of this denomination. The sheet is printed from the earliest engraved plates, specifically plate numbers one and two.
The Regie Finanze di Torino served as the central fiscal authority of the Savoyard state, overseeing taxation, state credit, and the issuance of paper instruments during the late eighteenth century. The introduction of paper money during this period marked a decisive institutional development, reflecting the state’s effort to formalize credit issuance beyond reliance on metallic reserves.
This sheet contains two impressions of the five scudi front design produced from plates one and two and printed under full intaglio pressure on official paper stock. Plate identifiers are present within the design, confirming systematic plate-based production rather than decorative or commemorative printing. The impressions exhibit deep plate bite visible from the verso, consistent with working proof material.
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.
This 1781 five scudi front proof sheet must therefore be regarded as a museum-grade monetary artifact of the highest order. It documents the mechanics of early Italian state paper money production at the sheet level and preserves primary evidence of Savoyard fiscal practice in the pre-central-bank era.