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5 Centesimi Prova
| Issuer | Italian Somaliland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1950 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Reverse description | The denomination 5 CENTESIMI is displayed in two lines within a raised circular border at the centre of the field. Above the central circle, a five-pointed star is flanked symmetrically by two outward-facing crescents, forming a prominent Islamic-influenced decorative device. The legend ROMA appears to the upper left and the date 1950 to the upper right, separated by the crescent motifs. An Arabic bilingual legend reading ضرب في روما سنة ١٣٦٩ (meaning 'minted in Rome, year 1369') encircles the lower portion of the design outside the central roundel. |
| Reverse script | Latin/Arabic |
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| Additional information |
This piece was struck as a pattern (prova) in 1950 during the UN-administered trusteeship period, when Italy was granted a ten-year mandate over its former colony ahead of Somali independence. The Italian administration needed a functioning coinage infrastructure, and trial strikes in various metals were produced to test dies and establish production parameters. Whether a brass composition was seriously considered for circulation or rejected outright in favor of other alloys is not recorded in the standard references.
KM#Pr2 designations for Italian Somaliland patterns are rarely encountered at auction, with surviving populations almost certainly in the single digits.