Italy 20 Lire (Fakes are possible) 1928 to 1943

There are two versions of this coin, one dated 1928 and one dated 1943. The dates are in Roman numerals, so you have to use your grade school scholarship to figure them out. The 1928 coin is shown in our main picture, and it is the valuable one. The 1943 coin is not a coin at all (it is not legal tender), but a copycat piece which sells today for about $10 US dollars. The copycat piece is shown in our secondary image.

For the 1928 coin made of silver, the catalogs report very good value, especially for coins in pristine condition. That is Vittorio Emanuele on the front. The coin commemorates the 10th anniversary of the end of WW I.

Coins with VITT EM:
worn: $100 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $250
well preserved: $500
fully uncirculated: $1000

Be sure to apply the concepts on our Important Terminology page to convert these catalog values to actual buy and sell values.

Detecting counterfeits by visual means is difficult for this issue. The fakes have excellent patterns. In the example below, there are slight variations is a few places shown, but the best bet is to go by precise weight. Genuine coins weigh exactly 20 grams. Get an accurate scale and check your coin.
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