History·25 March 2026·4 min read
The Italian lira — millions for a coffee
Before the euro, Italians counted in thousands and millions of lire. A currency of big numbers and charm.
The Italian lira had, like the old Romanian leu, large nominal values: a coffee cost hundreds of lire, a salary was millions. The name comes, like the pound sterling, from "libra" — a weight of silver.
An emotional goodbye
In 2002, Italy gave up the lira for the euro. For many Italians it was hard — the currency was part of their identity. Money is not just numbers; it's culture too.
