Catalog
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| Issuer | Sacro Monte della Pietà di Roma |
|---|---|
| Year | 1788 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Scudo (1534-1835) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 130 SETTE GENNARO MILLE SETTECENTO OTTANTOTTO S. M. DI PIETA DI ROMA La presente Cedola vaglia Scudi Romani Centotrenta da giulj dieci per Scudo da pagarsi all` Esibitore. |
| Reverse description | Plain paper reverse divided into four quadrants by fold lines, each quadrant bearing a letterpress-printed denomination cartouche reading J30 within ruled borders. Manuscript endorsements, transfer notations, and handwritten names appear in each quadrant, recording successive holders or transactions; the lower portions show remnants of printed text from the sheet edge. |
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| Comments |
The Sacro Monte della Pietà di Roma was one of the oldest pawnbroking institutions in Europe, established in 1539 under papal authority to provide low-interest loans to the poor as an alternative to usurious moneylenders. By the eighteenth century it had evolved into a significant deposit bank, issuing fede di credito — essentially bearer certificates — that circulated as de facto currency among merchants and the Roman nobility.
The 130 Scudi denomination is an odd figure, almost certainly reflecting the face value of a specific pledged asset rather than a round monetary unit, which points to this note's origins in collateralized lending rather than orthodox banking.