Italian 1 soldo coin (Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy)

1 soldo
Coin from 1808
General information
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Value	0.05 lire, 5 centesimi
Years	1807–1813
Measurements and composition
Mass	10.95 g
Diameter	27.5 mm
Composition	copper
Appearance
Obverse	Napoleon, year
Reverse	Iron Crown of Lombardy, value
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The 1 soldo coin was issued from 1807 to 1813 by the Kingdom of Italy, a client state of the French Empire under Napoleon I, who was stylized as both Emperor of France and King of Italy during the period. The coin had a value equal to 0.05 lire or 5 centesimi.

The coin is composed of copper. It weighs approximately 10.95 grams and measures roughly 27.5 millimeters in diameter. The edge is either smooth or bears five lines in the relief. The obverse, designed and engraved by Italian sculptor Luigi Manfredini, features in its center a right facing likeness of Napoleon, Emperor of France and King of Italy. The Italian caption "NAPOLEONE IMPERATORE E RE", which translates into English as "Napoleon, Emperor and King", is written around the coin's periphery, with the words starting to the left of the portrait and extending upwards until continuing downwards to the right of the likeness and stopping. Underneath Napoleon's image is the year of minting, flanked by an oil lamp representing Luigi Manfredini and either an anchor, oak branch, or pomegranate, respectively signifying production at Venice, Bologna, and Milan. A radiated depiction of the Iron Crown of Lombardy, the ceremonial headpiece worn by Napoleon during his coronation as King of Italy, is displayed in the center of the reverse. Above it around the coin's rim is the state title "REGNO D'ITALIA" (English: "Kingdom of Italy"), while the value "SOLDO" and the mint mark are displayed below – with a "B" mark representing Bologna, an "M" indicating Milan, and a "V" signifying Venice. A total of approximately 15,652,000 examples were produced. Milan minted a vast majority of the coins, having coined about 11,906,000 specimens total over the six years of production. Bologna only issued soldo coins from 1807 to 1809, striking nearly 1,985,000 examples. Like Bologna, Venice only produced such coins for three years, although not consecutively. The combined Venice totals from 1807, 1808, and 1812 amount to about 1,761,000 pieces produced at the facility.

A copper 1 soldo pattern coin was produced at Milan in 1806. It bears basically the same designs as the subsequent soldo coins that entered circulation.

References

• Numismatic Guaranty Corporation website
• Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) on the English Wikipedia
• Numismatica Italiana – Soldo del Regno d'Italia - Napoleone Imperatore e Re