Italian coin from 1943 - Mussolini

[Don]

Hi all,

Could anyone help me here please. I was cleaning out a cupboard and I found
a Lire 20 coin with Mussolini's profile on it, and an inscription in Italian
"Meglio vivere un giorno da leone che cento anni da pecora". The coin is
dated MCMXLIII (the year he was killed).

It has been put into a sort of clasp so that it can be worn as a pendant.
Does anyone know what it might be worth, if anything ?

TIA

Donal Carey

[William H. McIntyre]

It's a fantasy piece. Musolini never was portrayed on official Italian or

FYI Musolini was never protrayed on Italian or Albanian coinage.

[M Vincent]

I think its a 1928 20 Lire coin. Are you sure the date isn't MCMXVIII with
MCMXXVII shown as well? This means from 1918 to 1927/8. The coin
commemorates the 10 years after the victory in the first world war. The
value ranges from about $140 to $500 depending on the condition. Obviously,
if its been mounted it will lose some value.

Its not Mussolini on the obverse but King Victor Emmanuel III. Does it have
the words "VITT EM III RE"? Re means King.

If the word "Prova" or "Prova di Stampa" are on the coin then its worth much
more. There is also a version in gold that is worth a fortune.

Out of interest, the "Meglio da vivere ...." part means "Better to live one
day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep".

Hope this helps.

MV

Don wrote in message <7a9qp0$4ru$1...@news3.Belgium.EU.net>...

[denisde...@gmail.com]

On Monday, February 15, 1999 12:00:00 AM UTC-8, Don wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Could anyone help me here please. I was cleaning out a cupboard and I found
> a Lire 20 coin with Mussolini's profile on it, and an inscription in Italian
> "Meglio vivere un giorno da leone che cento anni da pecora". The coin is
> dated MCMXLIII (the year he was killed).
>
> It has been put into a sort of clasp so that it can be worn as a pendant.
> Does anyone know what it might be worth, if anything ?
>
> TIA
>
> Donal Carey

I have to agree with william h Mcintyre....only because my mother from the old country...pescarra/abruzzi/san victorina knew him early on...her brother my uncle deni,fought for king emmanual/pope...and with the partisons caught the sob..we used to discuss coins he gave her....none had his face on them...she had a similar coin in gold,,but its not el duce'...and put away for the kids,for their future, sorry,its the last king however,,her coin......victor E 111..<peace>

[xixin...@yahoo.com.br]

Em segunda-feira, 15 de fevereiro de 1999 05h00min00s UTC-3, Don escreveu:

> Hi all,
>
> Could anyone help me here please. I was cleaning out a cupboard and I found
> a Lire 20 coin with Mussolini's profile on it, and an inscription in Italian
> "Meglio vivere un giorno da leone che cento anni da pecora". The coin is
> dated MCMXLIII (the year he was killed).
>
> It has been put into a sort of clasp so that it can be worn as a pendant.
> Does anyone know what it might be worth, if anything ?
>
> TIA
>
> Donal Carey

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That medal/coin was struck in brass, silver and gold. It is something a commemorative coin. Mussolini was killed in 1945, not 1943. In 1943 he was ousted from power and imprisioned by order of the king.
Italy signed a separate armistice with the Allied Sept. 08, 1943.
Otto Skorzeny and his commandos rescued Mussolini and brought to Hitler who ordered him free.
Later Mussolini organised the new Fascist Party and kept fighting in northern Italy to the moment he was caught and executed by italian communist partisans while trying to escape.
The medal/coin is worth something around 20 to 60 US$ if brass or silver. Don't know about gold.

[addre...@invalid.invalid]

<xixin...@yahoo.com.br> wrote:
> Em segunda-feira, 15 de fevereiro de 1999 05h00min00s UTC-3, Don escreveu:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Could anyone help me here please. I was cleaning out a cupboard and I found
>> a Lire 20 coin with Mussolini's profile on it, and an inscription in Italian
>> "Meglio vivere un giorno da leone che cento anni da pecora". The coin is
>> dated MCMXLIII (the year he was killed).
>>
>> It has been put into a sort of clasp so that it can be worn as a pendant.
>> Does anyone know what it might be worth, if anything ?
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Donal Carey
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> That medal/coin was struck in brass, silver and gold. It is something a
> commemorative coin. Mussolini was killed in 1945, not 1943. In 1943 he
> was ousted from power and imprisioned by order of the king.
> Italy signed a separate armistice with the Allied Sept. 08, 1943.
> Otto Skorzeny and his commandos rescued Mussolini and brought to Hitler
> who ordered him free.
> Later Mussolini organised the new Fascist Party and kept fighting in

> northerner Italy to the moment he was caught and executed by italian

> communist partisans while trying to escape.
> The medal/coin is worth something around 20 to 60 US$ if brass or silver.
> Don't know about gold.

It was also made in silver colored base metal to sell to the tourists. It
can often be found for a few dollars. There is NO OFFICIAL coin with the
bust of Mussolini on it, all are fantasies

[Michael Marotta]

All agree that it is a fantasy and that many varieties are known.

"Meglio vivere un giorno da leone che cento anni da pecora".

Better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.

On Monday, February 15, 1999 2:00:00 AM UTC-6, Don wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Could anyone help me here please. I was cleaning out a cupboard and I found

> a Lire 20 coin with Mussolini's profile on it,....
> Donal Carey