Ticino Lira

The Ticino lira's most striking feature was its adoption of the decimal system, a direct nod to French revolutionary reforms, even as Switzerland clung to older monetary traditions.

This made it unusual among early Swiss cantonal coins, which often retained medieval influences. Struck primarily in silver for the lira and copper for fractions, these pieces circulated in Ticino from 1800 until the 1850 federal standardization. The designs typically included the canton's coat of arms—a red and white shield—alongside simple Latin legends.

Exact mintage numbers are murky; many records burned in various European conflicts of the era. What survives shows production likely occurred in Milan, given Ticino's proximity to Italy.

Some specimens show signs of hasty striking, perhaps due to wartime pressures.

Collectors sometimes confuse them with Lombard coins, which isn't entirely wrong.