Continuing List To Show Everyones Latest Acquisitions

Good luck.

Thanks guys.

But your right Dearborn there are even more rare examples and frankly none are of great numismatic value unless of very mint state. We are talking nickle after all and not silver or gold. I think they are of great Historic interest however, personally, tho I dont consider myself a very knowledgeable collector of the era's coins. I'm as noob as they come. My only expertise is the history of the events the coins represent. Speaking of nickle.

An Italian coin of 2 Lira.


And a 50 cent coin struck in 1941.


The efforts of Mussolini's forces during WW2 wrote a Litany of complication. While they are often made the butt of jokes the actual truth is they often gave a good accounting of themselves, tho in order to do so they had often to be under German command. Their Air Force fought in the Battle of Britain, tho they mostly bombed at night and could only carry limited ordinance. My 2 Lira piece was from the same year, 1940. Actually Mussolini had planed to send forces to be included in the German amphibious invasion of England "operation Sea Lion" which of course never happened.

In their attack in Greece and the Balkans the Italians ran up against stiff Greek and British resistance and Hitler eventually had to send divisions to help Mussolini defeat the allied forces, "Ive already said how this delayed the invasion of Russia by a critical month".

Despite early setbacks it was in North Africa where Italys armed forces performed best when operating with Rommels Africa corp. On the eastern front an entire Italian army was eviscerated by the Russian offensive at Stalingrad. This disaster marked the end of large scale Italian involvement in land battles. Its Air Force and especially Navy fought on and were well respected by their adversarys. They had one of the largest submarines forces in the world and used them to good effect.

Despite these accomplishments I dont think the Italian people ever had the desire Mussolini had to re-create the Roman Empire by force of arms. Italy was a poorer country then Germany with its armed forces less train and often with lesser equipment. They sure as hell never shared Hitlers vision of a new world order. But they did fight, and often well.

Great additions Silverskunk and GLB.

Thank you all, Errers, Bryan and Silverskunk.

Great additions Silverskunk

Greece 1954 10 Lepta

Nice coins, bryan10au!