The 1 lira of 1943 is money that arrived in Italy with the Allied armies. In July 1943, after the landing in Sicily, the first batches of AM-lire, from Allied Military Currency, were put into circulation, and their spread kept pace with the Allied advance.

The notes were printed in the United States by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the Forbes Lithograph company; the Series 1943 covered denominations from 1 to 1000 lire. The small notes of 1, 2, 5 and 10 lire are almost square while the higher values are rectangular, and every inscription on the note is in English.

The central message is on the reverse, which lists the «Four Freedoms»: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt set out these goals in his speech of 6 January 1941, and every denomination of the AM-lire series repeats them.

In time the occupation money was absorbed into the Italian monetary system: an agreement between the Italian government and the Allies of 24 January 1946 gave the Bank of Italy the right to issue AM-lire in order to unify that circulation with its own. AM-lire ceased to be legal tender on 30 June 1950.

For a «Second World War on banknotes» or occupation-money collection this is the basic piece of the AM-lire series, and for an Italian collection it opens a chapter that closed only in 1950. G-VG condition means heavy signs of circulation: many folds and much wear, with possible edge defects — a note that has passed through many hands.

Other paper money items from the same country or on the same theme are in the VPcoins catalogue.