Italy issues gold 100-lira medal for World War I
- Published: Oct 13, 2016, 10 AM

It was supposed to be the war that ended all wars, but in hindsight, World War I was only the precursor to a larger battle.
In 1928, a gold medal marking the 10th anniversary of the war’s end was issued in Italy.
The medal shows a helmeted image of Italy’s King Vittorio Emanuele III on the obverse, with fasces, lion-headed ax and anniversary legend on the reverse.
Connect with Coin World:
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
An example of this medal is offered Oct. 19 in Spink’s Auction No. 326, in New York City.
The medal is equivalent in weight to the 100-lira coin, weighing 32.46 grams, but is not a coin and so not listed in Gold Coins of the World by Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg.
The king depicted was a famous coin collector, donating more than 100,000 pieces from his collection to the people of Italy upon his death in 1946
Exactly who or what entity commissioned this medal is unclear, but two of Italy’s top coin designers (Giuseppe Romagnoli and Atillio Silvio Motti) were tapped to create the medal — their names appear on the obverse. The medal features the same designs they used for a 1928 silver 20-lira coin marking the same topic.
The medal in the Spink auction is graded Extremely Fine, according to the auction house, and has an estimate of $2,000 to $2,500.
MORE RELATED ARTICLES
Community Comments
Headlines
-
US Coins Jun 7, 2023, 2 PM
‘Ship of Gold’ exhibit set to dock at Long Beach Expo
-
World Coins Jun 7, 2023, 1 PM
Pobjoy Mint issues penguin bullion with king’s image
-
Paper Money Jun 7, 2023, 1 PM
Abkhazia releases 15,000 new notes for anniversary
-
US Coins Jun 6, 2023, 4 PM
Florida law stops waiting period for bullion sales