Belgian, Italian or Swiss: the legend decides
Weight and diameter are no help in telling these coins apart, since they are the same everywhere. Everything happens on the obverse.
- A king facing right and the words “ROI DES BELGES” or “KONING DER BELGEN”: a Belgian coin.
- A king facing left and an Italian legend, “VITTORIO EMANUELE II” or “RE D'ITALIA”: an Italian coin.
- A woman's head with a diadem and “CONFOEDERATIO HELVETICA”: a Swiss Helvetia.
Then note the year and, for Italy, the letter on the reverse. With these three details, the table of dates tells you at once whether the coin belongs to a plentiful date or a small mintage. A modest magnifier and light from the side are enough to read a worn date; never scratch the surface.
The kings of Italy and their mints
Victor Emmanuel II, King of Sardinia who became King of Italy in 1861, had his 20 lire struck in three cities: Turin (letter T), Milan (M), then Rome (R) from the 1870s. On Turin and Milan pieces, the letter sits beside the initials “BN” of the Banca Nazionale. Some 11.7 million coins came off the presses from 1861 to 1878, yet the opening Turin date remains obscure, with just over 3,000 pieces, and Rome produced some very thin years, 1873 and 1875 in particular.
His son Umberto I reigned from 1878 to 1900. His 20 lire, around 8.8 million pieces dated 1879 to 1897, all come from Rome. Among them, 1884, 1889, 1891, 1893 and 1897 are regarded as rare; Bdor counts only 9,775 pieces for 1884.
In Italy these coins are nicknamed marengo, a reminder of the gold 20 francs the Subalpine Republic issued after the battle of Marengo, won by Bonaparte on 14 June 1800. It is the exact counterpart of the French “napoléon”.
Copies, varieties and signs of use
Copies. The rarer an Italian date, the more it has been imitated: a large share of the examples of these dates in circulation are said to be false, and some fakes are themselves made of gold. A correct weight is therefore not enough. Examine the edge, the crispness of the lettering and the overall consistency: an Umberto I piece bearing the letter T or M has no reason to exist. The guide to spotting a fake coin (in French) sets out the checks: reconnaître une fausse pièce.
Belgian varieties. Leopold II first appears with a thick, crudely detailed beard, from 1867 to 1870, then with a more finely worked one. Depending on how the reverse is oriented against the obverse, catalogues list two positions for some years. The 1865 date also exists with a misspelt signature, “L. WINNER”.
Gondo gold. The Helvetia of 1893 and 1895 made from metal of the Gondo mine, in the Valais, show a small punch mark in the middle of the shield and a lighter colour.
Wear and mounts. Look first at the high points: Leopold II's beard and locks, the Italian rulers' moustaches, Helvetia's diadem and hair, then on the reverse the lions' manes, the collar around the Savoy shield and the Swiss foliage. Many of these coins were worn as pendants or brooches: solder on the edge betrays it, just as parallel scratches betray a cleaning. Two guides in French cover this: grades and cleaning.
Other gold of the same module
The 21 mm, 6.45 g 20 francs was adopted by many other issuers, which adds to the hesitation when sorting.
- French 20 francs, in the name of the emperor or the Republic: the Napoleon III 20 francs or the Rooster 20 francs, for instance.
- Sardinian 20 lire, struck before 1861 by Victor Emmanuel II as King of Sardinia: same standard, but no “REGNO D'ITALIA”.
- The 20 lire of Victor Emmanuel III, in the 20th century, with other designs.
- The Swiss Vreneli, which replaced the Helvetia from 1897: a young woman with plaits in front of the mountains.
- The 20 francs of Charles III of Monaco, dated 1878 and 1879.
- Greek 20 drachmai and Austro-Hungarian 8 florins (1870-1892), matched to the value of 20 francs.
A common currency ahead of its time
Long before the euro, four countries brought their coins into line. On 23 December 1865, meeting in Paris, the Belgian, French, Italian and Swiss delegates agreed on common weights and fineness for gold and silver; each signatory undertook to accept the others' coins in its public treasuries. Greece joined them in 1868.
The gold 20 francs became the benchmark coin of the group, and Belgium, Italy and Switzerland struck millions of them. The system did not survive the First World War: gold stopped circulating in 1914, Belgium pulled out late in 1925 and the Union came to an end on 1 January 1927. The coins stayed in bank vaults and family safes, which is why they still turn up so often.
