The lira austriaca (or ''lira''; plural: ''lire'') was the currency of the

Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia ( la, links=no, Regnum Langobardiae et Venetiae), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" ( it, links=no, Regno Lombardo-Veneto, german: links=no, Königreich Lombardo-Venetien), was a constituent land ...

. The lira was made of 4.33 grams of

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

(with 9/10 of purity). Six lire were equal to the scudo which was equivalent to the Austrian ''

Conventionsthaler The ''Conventionstaler'' or ''Konventionstaler'' ("Convention ''thaler''"), was a standard silver coin in the Austrian Empire and the southern German states of the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-18th to early 19th-centuries. Its most famous exam ...

'', hence they had no relation to the former currencies the

Venetian lira The lira (plural ''lire'') was the distinct currency of Venice until 1848, when it was replaced by the Italian lira. It originated from the Carolingian monetary system used in much of Western Europe since the 8th century CE, with the ''lira'' subd ...

and the

Milanese scudo The scudo was the currency of Milan until 1806. It was subdivided into 6 ''lire'', each of 20 ''soldi'' or 240 ''denari''. The Milanese scudo and lira were then replaced in 1806 by the Italian lira of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. Its exchange r ...

. The lira was divided into 100 centesimi (cents). Coins were minted in Milan, Venice and Vienna. Due to the heavy consequences of the war, Austria was not able to immediately produce the new currency when it took possession of the territory in 1814. Hence the

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

Italian lira The lira (; plural lire) was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. It was first introduced by the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy in 1807 at par with the French franc, and was subsequently adopted by the different states that would eventually ...

continued to be a legal tender for eight years after the fall of its inventor. The first issue of the Austrian currency was possible only in 1822. The new lire had a lower value than their French-Italian predecessors, which weighed 5 grams. During the revolutions of 1848, the Lombard Provisional Government briefly suspended the production of the lira and minted instead a special 5 Italian lire coin. After the revolutions and the restoration of the Austrian monetary standard, copper coins were reduced in weight. For political purposes the name on these coins (the most popular in circulation) was changed from

to the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...

. When metropolitan Austria decimalized in 1857, the change did not immediately affected the Kingdom, where old ''lira austriaca'' were minted again in 1858. Only in 1862, after the loss of Lombardy to the newborn

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

State, did the remaining part of the Austrian territories adopt the general coinage of the Empire. The Lombardo-Venetian florin (equal to the

Austro-Hungarian florin The florin (german: Gulden, hu, forint, hr, forinta/florin, cs, zlatý) was the currency of the lands of the House of Habsburg between 1754 and 1892 (known as the Austrian Empire from 1804 to 1867 and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy after 1867), ...

) became the basic unit of currency, and was divided in 100 ''soldi''; only subunits were specifically produced for the Venetian province. Curiously on these coins, the word ''Lombardy–Venetia'' re-appeared, as a sign of

revanchism Revanchism (french: revanchisme, from ''revanche'', "revenge") is the political manifestation of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country, often following a war or social movement. As a term, revanchism originated in 1870s Fr ...

for the lost Lombardy.

Coins

Copper coins

* 1 centesimo ** Weight: 1.75 grams ** Type 1852: 1.09 grams * 3 centesimi ** Weight: 5.25 grams ** Type 1852: 3.28 grams * 5 centesimi ** Weight: 8.75 grams ** Type 1852: 5.47 grams * ''10 centesimi'' ** Sole issue: 1852 ** Type 1852: 10.94 grams * ''15 centesimi'' ** Sole issue: 1852 ** Type 1852: 16.04 grams

Silver coins

* lira ** Value: 25 cents ** Purity: 6/10 ** Weight: 1.62 grams * lira ** Purity: 9/10 ** Weight: 2.17 grams * 1 lira austriaca ** Purity: 9/10 ** Weight: 4.33 grams * 1 fiorino ** Value: £3 ** Purity: 9/10 ** Weight: 12.99 grams * 1 scudo ** Value: £6 ** Purity: 9/10 ** Weight: 25.99 grams

Gold coins

* sovrano ** Value: £20 ** Purity: 9/10 ** Weight: 5.67 grams * 1 sovrano ** Value: £40 ** Purity: 9/10 ** Weight: 11.33 grams

References

* {{Portal, Money Obsolete Italian currencies Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia