Italian 20 lire
Italy · gold · 1861-1927
Overview
The Italian 20 lire gold coin, often called the marengo, was struck from 1861 to 1927 by the Kingdom of Italy, first with the effigy of Victor Emmanuel II, then of Umberto I and Victor Emmanuel III. It adopts the Latin Monetary Union standard, of which Italy was a founding member: 6.4516 g of 900 ‰ gold, that is 5.806 g of fine gold, with a diameter of 21 mm, the exact values of the French Napoléon and the Belgian 20 francs. The nickname marengo refers to the battle won by Bonaparte in Piedmont and designates, in Italy, any gold coin of this module. The obverse carries the king's profile, the reverse the arms of Savoy; the dates of the final years are markedly less common than those of the nineteenth century. At Gold & Silver Company in Dottignies, every 20 lire is weighed and appraised in front of the person; the assay in the agency is what counts.
Characteristics
| Country | Italy |
|---|---|
| Metal | gold |
| Gross weight | 6.4516 g |
| Fineness | 900 ‰ |
| Fine metal | 5.806 g |
| Diameter | 21 mm |
| Years of issue | 1861-1927 |
How to check it
Indicative check: weigh the coin to the centigram and measure its diameter with callipers; a deviation of more than 0.1 g or 0.2 mm from the reference values warrants an examination in the agency. The assay in the agency is what counts.
At Gold & Silver Company
Every coin is weighed and appraised in front of the person, at the agency in Dottignies (Mouscron); the price is set at the rate of the moment of the transaction and is never published in advance.
Welcome policy: for gold, Gold & Silver Company receives by appointment from one kilogram; below that, no appointment is needed during opening hours; for silver, no appointment is needed whatever the quantity.
Related terms
Further reading
Sources
Characteristics checked against the reference numismatic catalogues and the issuers' official specifications (September 2026). The appraisal in the agency is what counts.