Vatican lira

The lira was the money used in Vatican City from 1929 to 2002. It was a special version of the Italian lira. Coins for Vatican City were made by the Banca d'Italia, the bank of Italy. This money helped Vatican City make trade and everyday purchases easier during those years.

History

The Papal States once used a currency called the lira from 1866 to 1870. After that, it was no longer used. In 1929, the Lateran Treaty created the Vatican City. The Vatican then started making its own coins, which were worth the same as the Italian lira. These coins were made in Rome and could also be used in Italy and San Marino.

In 2002, the Vatican City started using the euro instead. Now, the Vatican has its own euro coins.

Coins

The Vatican made coins that looked like Italian coins. In 1929, they began making coins from metals such as copper, nickel, silver, and gold. The metals and sizes of the coins changed over time. For instance, they changed from copper to aluminium bronze in 1939 and from nickel to stainless steel in 1940.

Later, they added new coins made from aluminium and stainless steel. By 1967, they started using Roman numerals (like I, II, III) instead of normal numbers (1, 2, 3) to show the year on the coins. The use of these Vatican coins ended when the euro became the new money. Each year, many coins were made with different designs to remember special events. Some coins were sold in special sets, while others were used for everyday purchases.

Officially "unissued" coins of 1938

In 1938, Vatican City did not officially release any coins. These coins are not in the records of the Mint of Rome. But a very small number of copper coins from that year have been found.

There are two ideas about where these coins came from. One idea is that when Pope Pius XI died in February 1939, only coins from 1937 had been made, even though tools for 1938 coins were ready. The other idea is that the coins made for 1938 were destroyed after the Pope's death, but a few were kept for the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III, who loved collecting coins.

These coins were kept in a place called Forte Antenna near Rome. During World War II, they were moved to a safer place in Piedmont called Pollenzo. Later in the war, the collection was taken to Germany but was returned to Italy in 1944. Some boxes were opened and damaged during this time.

Until recently, only seven coins from 1938 had been examined and certified, and most looked like they had been used. Recently, a coin was examined in Los Angeles and was found to be in excellent condition, making it a very rare and valuable piece of history.

Circulating coins from Pius XI to Pius XII papacies (1929–1958)

Vatican City used a special kind of coin from 1929 to 1958. These coins were made by the Banca d'Italia for Vatican City. They were like the Italian lira, the money used in Italy.