Lira Coin: Rarest Lira Coins in Circulation

Do you own some Lira Coins? Have you found some forgotten lira coin pieces inside an old purse, drawer or piggy bank and you think they could have a value? The value that the old lira coins may have (those that are classified as rare lira pieces) may astonish you!

How to recognise rare lira coins?

Among the old Lira coins, there are small treasures hidden that are highly coveted by collectors. There are many more valuable Italian coins that have been valued at tens of thousands of euros than you might think!

The rare lire with the highest value are those that were minted during the 1950s.

Desired by collectors and highly sought-after, these rare coinage lire are of great value, especially if they have been preserved with the utmost care.

But it is not so easy to recognise them, it takes an expert eye! It is not only a matter of aesthetics, but also the year of minting, the material used, the historical period, possible minting errors and above all the state of preservation of the coin itself.

In the next few lines there will be examples of rare coins that everyone might also find in some old pocket.

How much are this coins worth?

The value of these coins can be very high. We have talked about the 1-Lira coin, the 5-Lira coin, the 10-Lira coin, the 20-Lira coin, the 100-Lira coin, the 200-Lira coin, the telephone tokens, the 500-Lira silver coin, the 500-Lira bimetallic coin and the 500-Lira banknote. You can find all these coins for sale at auction in this page and you can have the chance to win them.

1 lira “Arancia” 1947 – Italian Rare Coin

A Lira with the woman adorned with spikes on one side and the Orange branch with fruit on the other side of the coin. A little money of the value of 1 lira that today could be worth a small fortune.

Value of 1 Lira “Arancia” 1947

One specimen of Orange Lira of 1947 with FDC conservation status can be worth 1.500€.

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2 lire 1947 “Spiga” – Value of this Italian Rare Piece Coins

This is another italian coin, this time a 2 lire coin, but still from 1947, which is worth a lot of money.

Value of 2 Lira “Spiga” 1947

A 2 Lire Spiga coin of 1947 R2 in FDC was bought at an auction for 1.800€.

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5 lira 1946 “grape” – Value of this Italian Rare Piece Coins

The 5 lira 1946 was the first 5 lire coin minted by the Italian Republic. This Italian coin is easily recognizable because it is depicted a bunch of grapes. On the obverse there is the profile of a woman with torch. Composed by Italma, the first 5 “rare” lira have a size of 26.7 mm in diameter and weigh 2.5 grams.

In 1946 was minted the first trial coin (PROVA coin). These coins can be recognized because they have the inscription PROVA near the bunch of grapes on the reverse. These coins, despite the particularity that makes them desirable, are not collectible. The same year began to be put into circulation those that today could be worth a small fortune.

Value of 5 Lira Coin 1946

• These coins are lire of quite high value. If the conditions are excellent, the 5 lira of 1946 and 1947 may have a value of over 1200 €.
• The pieces coined in different years could instead have a respectable value , that is about 50 euro.

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5 lire 1954 “Dolphin” – Rare Coins for Numismatist

These rare coins were composed of italma and had a diameter of about 2 centimeters and 1 gram weigh. The coins were produced From the year 1951 until 2001. On the rights have the design of the dolphin and on the reverse side a rudder.

The coins minted from 1951 to 1955 have a value of about 8€ because they havebeen minted in large quantities. Even the 5 lire of 1954 have a similar value. The 5 lire peice that has a bit more value are those of 1951 that bear the inscription “prova” under the dolphin. Since in 1956 only 400 thousand coins of 5 liras were minted, so the value of this coin is very high.

The 5 lire of 1956 have a value that reaches almost 2000€. The coinage of the Italian 5 lire was interrupted in 1957 for 8 years. In 1966-67 the production was resumed and the pieces of that year can be worth around 5€.

The Value of The coins of following years have no greater value than 2€. The 5 lire 1954 do not have a value comparable to that of 10 lire 1954 which we will discuss now.

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10 Lire 1954, 1955, 1947 – Rare Coins for Numismatist

These are the 10 Lira that have remained in the hearts of many Italians! We have dedicated an article to deepen the history of the 10 Lire, but these are certainly among the rarest. Everyone will have heard of the 10 Lire Olivo or the 10 Lire Spiga (ear of corn), what not everyone knows is their current value and rarity. Let’s look together at the value of some vintages.

VALUE OF 10 lire 1954 – 1955 – 1947

• Among the rare lira coins, the 10 Lira of 1954 (Spiga) certainly have a place of honour. They are 10 Lira coins that have a discreet value even if they are relatively common, their value is around 70-90€.
• The 10 lire of 1955 (Spiga) are the most common and therefore the least valuable. The value of these coins is around 20€ per example in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, i.e. only if of excellent quality and without scratches.
• The 10 Lira 1947 (Olive) are highly sought after by collectors, because they are very rare and classified as R3. The value of these rare 10 lire can reach over 4,000€.

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20 lire of 1956 – Italian Rare Lira Coins

The first minting is from 1956 and for the following ones the same design has always been maintained. Only the material and the edge of the coin was different and of two types, smooth and striped. The minting of that year was withdrawn and melted for reasons unknown to most people and is therefore not collectible.

Value of 20 Lira Coin 1957

• A part of these coins of value, the 20 lire of 1956 marked with the writing “prova”, was distributed among the employees of the mint, today it can be worth more than 300€.
• The 20 lire of 1968 instead, considered however rare lire, are valued if in excellent conditions about 80€.
• The “PROVA” coin of 1968 is worth 800€.

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50 lire of 1956 – Vulcano

This rare coin depicts on the reverse side Vulcan naked beating metal to the anvil, while on the obverse side of the coin there is the crowned head of oak and the inscription Repvublica Italiana.

Value of 50 Lire 1956 Vulcano

• In BB conditions this coin can be worth from 20€ to 50€.
• For FDC (Fior di Conio) specimens the 50 lire of 1956 arrive at a price that starts from 90€ up to 110€.

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50 lire of 1958 – Rare Coins for Numismatist

The coinage of Italian 50 lire coins has seen as many as five different types of coins marketed and no commemorative coins. Of all these types and years, (the minting started in 1954 and ended in 2001) the rarest lira piece and therefore the lira coin of greater value is that of year 1958. Even if more than 800 thousand pieces were produced, they are very rare.

VALUE OF 50 lire del 1958

Each 50 lire coin with a date lower than or equal to 1960 can be worth from 50€ to over 800€. The 50 liras of 1958, if in perfect condition, have a value of almost 2000 euro.

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100 Lire 1955 – Value of Italian rare coins

The first 100 lire coin dates back to 1955. Under FDC (mint) conditions a rare piece of that year can be worth around 1000€. If  in excellent condition the value is 120€. In this case the lira piece of greater value are those of the first years of minting, with variations due to the quantity of the production produced.

Value of 100 Lire 1955

The rare italian coin of 100 lire of 1956 have a value ranging from 20 to 150€. A 100 lire piece from the year 1957 to 1961 have a value that can reach 600€. The coins from 1962 to 1963 are worth from 100 to 200 € and a piece of 100 lira coins from 1964 to 1967 can be worth about 50€.

Those pieces from 1968 to 1989 have a maximum value of 3 €. The subsequent ones have no value other than that one of year 1972 which has a lack of coinage that could increase its price.

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200 lire 1977 – Value of Italian rare coins

The PROVA version of the 200 Lire of 1977 is the one that currently has more value among the 200 Lira. The circulation was limited, therefore to today it results a difficult coin to find. Difficult but not impossible.

The 200 lire of 1978 instead present an error to half moon under the neck that makes them particular. We talked a lot about it, as well as all the other 200 lira coins, in this page: “200 rare italian lira – Discover the value of the 200 italian lira“.

Value of 200 Lire 1977/1978

• A sample of 200 lire PROVA1977 in FDC quality may cost as much as 800€.
• A coin of 200 lire of 1978 with Crescent Moon instead can be worth 90€ in BDC

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Other Rare and Valuable Lira Coins

There are many different rare lira pieces, in addition to those mentioned in this article so far. All of the following pieces can have a value from 5, 10, 20, 50, 100€ to 500€

Phone token 1927 STIPEL

It is not a lira, but it is as if it was! Its value between 1959 and 1984 changed a lot until it stabilized at 200 Lira until 2001, when the token came out and the euro came into force.

Value of Italian Phone token 1927 STIPEL

• 1927 STIPEL token is worth €85 if kept in perfect condition.

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The 500 Lira Silver of 1957 – Another Italian rare and valuable coins

About 500 lire silver coin of 1957 we have spoken in another article (this: 500 lire silver coin). This is one of the best example of collectible coin of great value, having been produced with very small print runs and also having some peculiarities in the engravings.

Value and quotation of 500 Italian Lira Silver Coin

These rare lire coins exceed the value of the other lira coins and reach stratospheric figures with prices of up to 15.000 euro but remember that it is only the coins of 1957 with the minting error of the flag on the contrary that have this value.

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Check out these topics about lira coins:

• Here you can find out everything about the 1 lira coin, 2 lira coin, 5 lire coin, 10 lire coins , 20 lire and 50-lira coins.
• The 10 lira cents are here, the 20 lira cents here, and the 50 lira cents here.
• If you are looking for the 1 cent lira coin, look here and here on the 2 cent rare lira and 5 cent lira.
• Look here If you want infos about the 100 Lire coins and also the value of the 1000 Lira of the Italian Republic.
• We have discussed the 200 lire coins and their value here.
• We have talked about Telephone Tokens worth 200 lire on this page.
• We also talked about the 500 silver lira coins, the 500 bimetallic lira and the 500 lire banknotes.