| Description | The lira (plural lire) was the currency of San Marino from the 1860s until the introduction of the euro in 2002. It was equivalent and pegged to the Italian lira. Italian coins and banknotes and Vatican City coins were legal tender in San Marino, while Sammarinese coins, minted in Rome, were legal tender throughout Italy, as well as in the Vatican City.
San Marino's first coins were copper 5 centesimi, issued in 1864. These were followed by copper 10 centesimi, first issued in 1875. Although these copper coins were last issued in 1894, silver 50 centesimi, 1, 2 and 5 lire were issued in 1898, with the 1 and 2 lire also minted in 1906.
The Sammarinese coinage recommenced in 1931, with silver 5, 10 and 20 lire, to which bronze 5 and 10 centesimi were added in 1935. These coins were issued until 1938.
In 1972, San Marino began issuing coins again, in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 lire, all of which were struck to the same specifications as the corresponding Italian coins. 200 lire coins were added in 1978, followed by bimetallic 500 and 1000 lire in 1982 and 1997, respectively. 50 and 100 lire were reduced in size in 1992. All of these modern issues changed design every year.
Lire coins for San Marino discontinued after the introduction of the euro. However, San Marino has license to - and periodically does - issue its own euro coins. |
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