Italy Banknotes Catalog

The history of banknotes in Italy is fascinating and reflects the country's political and economic changes over time. From their first issues to the adoption of the euro, Italian banknotes have witnessed the evolution of the nation.

Old banknotes of Italy

Prior to Italian unification in 1861, different states issued their own coins and banknotes. After unification, the Italian lira was introduced as the national currency. The first lira banknotes were issued by the National Bank of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. Throughout the 20th century, Italy underwent several changes to its banknotes, including the introduction of the "Lira pesante" in 1946 after World War II, which eliminated four zeros from the previous denomination.

Current banknotes and the transition to the euro

In 2002, Italy, along with other European countries, adopted the euro as its official currency. Euro banknotes are identical in all eurozone countries, but each country has its own design on the back of the coins. Prior to the changeover, the last lira banknotes in circulation included denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 50,000 and 100,000 lire, with designs honoring Italian historical and cultural figures such as Maria Montessori, Guglielmo Marconi and Caravaggio.