lira

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1 Turkish Lira
	M. Kemal Ataturk

1 Italian lira 1863
Vittorio Emanuele II	Coat of arms of the House of Savoy

Lira (sign: ₤, £, or L; plural: lire) is the name of the monetary unit of a number of countries, as well as the former currency of Italy, Malta, San Marino and the Vatican City (replaced in 2002 with the euro) and Israel. The term originates from the value of a Troy pound (Latin libra) of high purity silver. The libra was the basis of the monetary system of the Roman Empire. When Europe resumed a monetary system, during the Carolingian Empire, the Roman system was adopted, the so-called £sd (librae, solidi, denarii).

Particularly this system was kept during the Middle Ages and Modern Age in England, France, and Italy. In each of these countries the libra was translated into local language: pound in England, livre in France, lira in Italy. The Venetian lira was one of the currencies in use in Italy and due to the economic power of the Venetian Republic a popular currency in the Eastern Mediterranean trade.

During the 19th century Egypt and the Ottoman Empire adopted the lira as their national currency, equivalent to 100 piasters or kuruş. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed in years 1918-1922, many among the successor states kept the lira as their national currency. In some countries, such as Cyprus, which have belonged to both empires, the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire, the words lira and pound are used as equivalents.

L, sometimes in a double-crossed script form (₤) or less often single-crossed (£), is usually used as the symbol (occasionally a plain capital "L" crossed by a bar is used).^[1]

Current uses

Turkey

The Turkish lira was introduced in 1844 during Ottoman reign. Turkish Lira is now the currency of Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Lebanon

The Lebanese pound is called "lira" in local national language, Arabic.

Syria

The Syrian pound is called "lira" in national language of Syria, Arabic.

Jordan

A widely used name of Jordanian dinar is lira.

Also:
The Bulgarian language refers to the English pound as lira (or occasionally paund to reflect English phonology) in opposition to Croatian which refers to the Italian as lira and the English as funta (from German).

Former currencies

• Cyprus pound (called "lira" in Turkish)
• Israeli lira
• Italian lira
• Italian East African lira
• Italian Somaliland lira
• Maltese lira
• Neapolitan lira
• Sammarinese lira
• Tripolitanian lira
• Vatican lira
• Pound (currency), translated "lira" in some languages
• French livre cognate
• Turkish lira cognate

Footnotes

Further reading

• Carlo M. Cipolla, Le avventure della lira, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1975.
• Stefano Poddi, "La lunga storia della lira", stralcio, Fondazioni, n. 2 marzo-aprile, 2008. Roma.
• Stefano Poddi, "La lunga storia della lira", articolo completo, Difesa e Lavoro, settembre 2008.

External links

• Overview of Italian lira from the BBC

Coordinates: 2°14′N 32°54′E / 2.233°N 32.9°E / 2.233; 32.9