Victor Emmanuel l, from the Carignano branch of the House of Savoy, was born in Turin in 1820. His father was King Charles Albert of Sardinia, and his mother was Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. In 1849, during one of the important battles of the Sard-Austrian War, the Battle of Novara, his father Charles Albert renounced his royal title and left for Portugal, thus the throne passed to Viktor Emanuel. In 1861, the parliament proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy, headed by Victor Emanuel II was claimed, making him the first ruler of Italy. In 1866, the Prague Peace Treaty ending the Austro-Italian War was signed, in which Austria ceded the province of Veneto, including the city of Venice, to Italy. He died in Rome in 1878. He was succeeded on the throne by his son, King Umberto I.

Victor Emmanuel II. king of Italy united Italy in 1861 and became the first king of Italy. In the following years, the coinage was determined by the process of unification and the development of the economy. In the first years, the coinage was not yet completely uniform. In the territory of united Italy, many regions still used their own coinage system. However, in Turin, the capital of the kingdom, the minting of the national currency, the lira, began as early as 1861. In the 1860s, the main task of the mint was to ensure the quantity and quality of money in circulation. During this period, large amounts of small change were minted, as well as 1 and 2 lira coins. In the 1870s, the unification process was completed and the Italian economy began to develop. Coinage also changed at the same time. In this period, more emphasis was placed on beauty and aesthetics. Luigi Giorgi played a prominent role in the design of the coins. Viktor Emánuel II. during his reign the following coins were minted: Bronze coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 centesimo, 1, 2, 5, 10 lira Silver coins: 5, 10, 20, 50 centesimo, 1, 2, 5 lira Gold coins: 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 lira The first Italian commemorative coins were minted in the 1870s. The most significant of these is the 10 lira coin of Vittorio Emanuele II. coin depicting his coronation. Viktor Emanuel II. its coinage played an important role in the unification of Italy and the creation of the national currency. And the beauty and quality of the coins contributed to the strengthening of Italian national identity.