The 1919 20 Centesimi coin from Italy is a wartime emergency issue, minted during the reign of King Victor Emmanuel III. Struck in Rome from copper-nickel, this piece served as a substitute for earlier withdrawn coins, using repurposed planchets due to metal shortages during and after World War I.
The obverse features a crowned Savoy shield between crossed branches of laurel and oak, with the inscription REGNO D’ITALIA above. The engraver’s initials A.M. for Attilio Motti appear below the design.
The reverse shows the denomination "CENT. 20" and the year "1919" inside a hexagonal frame, surrounded by a laurel wreath, with the mintmark "R" for Rome placed underneath the date. This clean and symmetrical layout is typical of early 20th-century Italian coinage.
Design details:
-
Obverse: Crowned shield, laurel and oak branches, inscription "REGNO D’ITALIA", initials A.M.
-
Reverse: "CENT. 20", year "1919", mintmark "R", hexagon inside laurel wreath
-
Engraver: Attilio Silvio Motti
Specifications:
-
Country: Italy 🇮🇹
-
Year: 1919
-
Face Value: 20 Centesimi (0.20 ITL)
-
Mint: Rome (R)
-
Material: Copper-nickel
-
Weight: 3.9 g
-
Diameter: 21.3 mm
-
Thickness: 1.4 mm
-
Edge: Plain or reeded (emergency issue overstrike)
-
Shape: Round
-
Orientation: Medal alignment ↑↑
-
Type: Standard circulation coin
This coin is notable for its emergency origin. To conserve nickel, the Italian mint reused older 20 Centesimi coins (KM#28) as blanks, leading to visible traces of the previous design. Coins with clear overstrike remnants are highly collectible. Perfectly reeded versions are especially rare and prized.
