This card celebrates the Lira, one of the most widespread currencies ousted by the euro, for it was not only used in Italy, as shown here, but in Israel, Malta, San Marino, and in the Vatican State, as well as former Italian colonies in Africa. It still remains in Lebanon, Syria, and as we found out earlier in the week, in the Turkish part of Cyprus.
The name Lira also came from the Roman Empire, Libra being Latin for Pound. And in fact British coinage also had Librae, it was the L in L.S.D. (by which I mean Librae, Solidi, Denari - not the other L.S.D., Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)
Now since featuring this set, we have had more contact, and other issuers are already starting to turn up. We can therefore add :
- CHICOREE BLEU-ARGENT, ARLATTE & CO
[another coffee substitute, made by Arlatte * Co of Cambrai, France] - CHICOREE des ROIS C. BERIOT à Lille
[this translates to "Chicory of Kings", a coffee substitute made by C. Beriot of Lille in France] - CHICOREE NOUVELLE, CASIEZ -BOURGOIS, CAMBRAI
[New Chicory - coffee substitute - by Casiez-Bourgois, of Cambrai] - LA TISANE DES PERES CELESTINS
[a monastery in Paris, however it is variously reported as coffee, tea, or herbal medicine] - Mon. L. PHILLIPE, Brest
[absolutely no idea on this one] - PHOSCAO -
[hot chocolate, the maker being A. Dardanne et Fils, but this is not listed on the cards]
And if any readers can add any more, please do.
Now I do not know for sure how many cards make a full set, but I started the list which follows with just six cards, and since asking around it has grown considerably. And I welcome the titles of any others you know, other than :
- Allemagne [Germany]
- Angleterre - [England]
- Autriche Hiongruie [Austria and Hungary, or Austro Hungary]
- Belgique [Belgium]
- Bulgarie [Bulgaria]
- Canada [Canada]
- Danemark [Denmark]
- Espagne [Spain]
- Etats-Unis de l`Amerique du Nord [The United States of North America]
- France [France]
- Grece [Greece]
- Hollande [Holland]
- Italie [Italy]
- Japon [Japan]
- Mexico [Mexico]
- Portugal [Portugal]
- Roumanie [Rumania]
- Russie [Russia]
- Serbie [Serbia]
- Suede et Norvege [Sweden and Norway]
The unusual one is Autriche Hiongruie, which is the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which began in 1867 and ended in 1918. Curiously it was two Sovereign States, but only with only one King, known as either the Emperor of Austria or the King of Hungary, depending on where you lived. That means these cards were definitely issued before the First World War