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Italy
Italian Unification Centennial Commemorative issue
1961 Silver 500 Lire 29mm (10.99 grams) 0.835 Silver (0.2934 oz.
ASW)
Reference: KM# 99
REPVBBLICA ★ ITALIANA, Italy seated on a
capital, with her right arm raised holding an olve branch, and an helm
on her left side. In the exergue the name of the engexergue raver VEROI
below.
A man driving a quadriga (four horse chariot) left with 1861
above and 1961 underneath; value L.500 in exergue with mintmark R below.
The fall of Gaeta brought the unification movement to the brink of
fruition—only Rome and Venetia remained to be added. On 18 February
1861, Victor Emmanuel assembled the deputies of the first Italian
Parliament in Turin. On 17 March 1861, the Parliament proclaimed Victor
Emmanuel King of Italy, and on 27 March 1861 Rome was declared Capital
of Italy, even though it was not actually in the new Kingdom.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate
of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
 Italy,
officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana),
is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. Italy covers an area of
301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and has a largely temperate
climate; due to its shape, it is often referred to in Italy as lo
Stivale (the Boot). With 61 million inhabitants, it is the 4th most
populous EU member state. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea,
Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria,
Slovenia, San Marino and Vatican City.
 Since
ancient times, Greek, Etruscan, Celtic, and other cultures have thrived
on the Italian Peninsula. Rome ultimately emerged as the dominant power,
conquering much of the ancient world and becoming the leading cultural,
political, and religious centre of Western civilisation. During the Dark
Ages, the region suffered sociopolitical collapse amid calamitous
barbarian invasions, but by the 11th century, numerous Italian
city-states rose to great prosperity through shipping, commerce and
banking, and even laid the groundwork for capitalism. The Renaissance
led to a flourishing of Italian culture, producing famous scholars,
artists, and polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo
and Machiavelli. Italian explorers such as Marco Polo, Christopher
Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and Giovanni da Verrazzano discovered new
routes to the Far East and the New World, helping to usher in the
European Age of Discovery. Nevertheless, Italy remained politically
fragmented and fell prey to European powers such as France, Spain, and
later Austria, subsequently entering a long period of decline that
lasted until the mid-19th century.
 After
various unsuccessful attempts, the second and the third wars for Italian
independence resulted in the eventual unification of most of present-day
Italy by 1866. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the
new Kingdom of Italy rapidly industrialised and acquired a colonial
empire, becoming a great power. However, southern and rural areas of the
country remained largely excluded from industrialisation, fuelling a
large and influential diaspora. Despite being one of the main victors in
World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social
turmoil, leading the way to the rise of a Fascist dictatorship in 1922.
The subsequent participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in
military defeat, economic destruction and civil war. In the years that
followed, Italy abolished the monarchy, reinstated democracy, and
enjoyed a prolonged economic boom, thus becoming one of the world’s most
developed nations.
Italy has the third largest economy in the
Eurozone and the eighth largest economy in the world. It has a very high
level of human development and enjoys the highest life expectancy in the
EU. Italy plays a prominent role in global military, cultural and
diplomatic affairs and is also considered to be a major regional power
in Europe. Italy is a founding and leading member of the European Union
and the member of numerous international institutions, including the UN,
NATO, the OECD, the OSCE, the WTO, the G7/G8, G20, the Union for the
Mediterranean, the Council of Europe, Uniting for Consensus, and many
more. As a reflection of its vast cultural wealth, Italy is home to 51
World Heritage Sites, the most in the world, and is one of the most
visited countries.
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