Two Sicilies piastra
Encyclopedia
The ducat was the main currency of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
between 1816 and 1860. When the Congress of Vienna
created the kingdom merging the Kingdom of Naples
and the Kingdom of Sicily
, the ducat became at par a continuation of the Neapolitan ducat
and the Sicilian piastra
issued prior to 1816, although the Sicilian piastra had been subdivided into 240 grana. In the mainland part of the kingdom, the ducat also replaced the Napoleonic lira
.
The subdivision and the coinage of the currency was simplified respect to the pre-Napoleonic era: only three denominations survived. The ducat
proper was the name of the gold coins, and curiously it did not exist as a single unit; the grana (singular
: grano) was the name of the silver coins, itself too not existing as a single unit; the tornesel (Italian
: tornese) was the name of the copper coins. Accounts were kept in ducats, each of 100 grana or 200 tornesels.
The piastra was the unofficial name of the biggest silver coin, which had a value of 120 grana. When the Italian lira
replaced the coinage of the House of Bourbon in 1861, a rate of 1 piastra = 5.1 lire was established.
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
between 1816 and 1860. When the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
created the kingdom merging the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
and the Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
, the ducat became at par a continuation of the Neapolitan ducat
Neapolitan piastra
The piastra was the most common silver coin of the mainland Kingdom of Sicily, also known as the Kingdom of Naples. In order to distinguish it from the piastra issued on the island of Sicily, it is referred to as the "Neapolitan piastra" as opposed to the "Sicilian piastra". These two piastra were...
and the Sicilian piastra
Sicilian piastra
The piastra was the distinct currency of the Kingdom of Sicily until 1815. In order to distinguish it from the piastra issued on the mainland Kingdom of Sicily , it is referred to as the "Sicilian piastra" as opposed to the "Neapolitan piastra". These two piastra were equal but were subdivided...
issued prior to 1816, although the Sicilian piastra had been subdivided into 240 grana. In the mainland part of the kingdom, the ducat also replaced the Napoleonic lira
Neapolitan lira
The lira was the currency of the mainland part of the Kingdom of the Sicily, known as the Kingdom of Naples, between 1812 and 1813. The currency was issued by Joachim Murat, who claimed the title of "King of the Two Sicilies" but only controlled the mainland part of the kingdom. Consequently, the...
.
The subdivision and the coinage of the currency was simplified respect to the pre-Napoleonic era: only three denominations survived. The ducat
Ducat
The ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
proper was the name of the gold coins, and curiously it did not exist as a single unit; the grana (singular
Singular
A grammatical number denoting a unit quantity Singular may also refer to:* Gravitational singularity, a location where the quantities that are used to measure the gravitational field become infinite...
: grano) was the name of the silver coins, itself too not existing as a single unit; the tornesel (Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: tornese) was the name of the copper coins. Accounts were kept in ducats, each of 100 grana or 200 tornesels.
The piastra was the unofficial name of the biggest silver coin, which had a value of 120 grana. When the Italian lira
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
replaced the coinage of the House of Bourbon in 1861, a rate of 1 piastra = 5.1 lire was established.