Italy 5 Lire - Victor Emmanuel II, 1861

5 Lire from Italy. Issued in 1861. Struck in Silver (.900). Measures 37 mm and weighs 25 g.

Obverse

Head of King Vittorio Emanuele II facing right (VITTORIO EMANUELE II KING OF ITALY)

Reverse

Crowned Savoia coat of arms decorated with the Collare dell'Annunziata, both within a laurel wreath. Above the shield the value of the coin Below a fasces. (FIVE ITALIAN LIRE
FLORENCE MARCH 1861)

Edge

Inscription with Guilloche and rosettes (FERT was the motto of the house of Savoy, adopted by King Vittorio Amedeo II (1666-1732). It is thought to be an acronym, though what it stands for have been lost to time. Theories include:

1. Foedere Et Religione Tenemur (Latin, ‘treaty and religion bind us’)

2. Fortitudo Eius Rempublicam Tenet (Latin, ‘his bravery [or strength] preserves [or defends] the state’)

3. Fides Est Regni Tutela (Latin, ‘faith is the protector of [our] kingdom’)

Another theory suggests that it is in fact the Latin word fert, the third-person singular present active indicative of ferre (Meaning he/she/it suffers/bears), in reference to Jesus bearing the sins of the world.)