Italian 5 soldo coin (Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy)

5 soldi
Coin from 1813
General information
Country	Kingdom of Italy
Value	0.25 lire; 5 soldi; 25 centesimi
Years	1808–1814
Measurements and composition
Mass	1.25 g
Diameter	15 mm
Composition	Silver
Appearance
Edge	small stars
Obverse	Napoleon, year
Reverse	Iron Crown of Lombardy, state title, value
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The 5 soldo coin was issued from 1808 to 1814 by the Kingdom of Italy, a client state of the French Empire during the reign of Napoleon I, who also assumed the role of King of Italy. The coin had a value of 25 centesimi, or 0.25 lire, before being demonetized in 1814.

The coin is composed of .900 fine silver. It weighs approximately 1.25 grams and measures 15 millimeters in diameter. The coin uses coin alignment and features a few incuse, five-pointed stars on its edge. The obverse of the 5 soldo piece was designed and engraved by Italian sculptor Luigi Manfredini, and features a right-facing portrait of Napoleon in the center. The Italian legend "NAPOLEONE IMPERATOR E RE", which translates to English as "Napoleon, Emperor and King", is written around the upper periphery of the coin, with the words starting near the bottom left of the portrait and continuing upward until arching downward and ending at the other side of the obverse. Featured below Napoleon's likeness is the date, flanked to the left by an oil lamp privy mark representing Luigi Manfredini and to the right by either an anchor, oak branch, or pomegranate, respectively signifying production at the Venice, Bologna, and Milan mints. Featured in the center of the reverse is a radiant depiction of the Iron Crown of Lombardy, the ceremonial headpiece worn by Napoleon during his coronation as King of Italy. Around the coin's rim above is the arched state title "REGNO D'ITALIA" (English: "Kingdom of Italy"), and in the space below is the value "5 . SOLDI" and either a "B", "M", or "V" mint mark, respectively representing Bologna, Milan, and Venice. A total of at least 13,930,000 examples was produced. A large majority of these coins were struck at Milan, which coined a total of at least 9,980,000 examples over seven consecutive years of production. Bologna, which only minted 5 soldo coins from 1812 to 1813, manufactured a total of nearly 3,840,000 pieces. Venice only produced these coins in 1812 and made about 110,000 examples. About 130,000 5 soldo coins struck at Milan in 1808 have raised stars on the edges, and an unknown number of 1814-dated pieces from Milan bear a misspelled "IMPERARORE" in the legend on the obverse instead of "IMPERATORE". Also, about 390,000 Bolognese coins from 1812 and 320,000 from 1813 show the "B" mint mark stamped over the "M" mark of Milan.

In 1806, two years before the 5 soldo coin was introduced for circulation, a silver 5 soldo pattern coin was produced at Milan. This coin bears the same designs as the subsequent 5 soldo coins that were put into circulation.

References

• Numismatic Guaranty Corporation website
• Numismatica Italiana – 5 soldi di Napoleone Bonaparte - Regno D'Italia