Description:

Mussolini Benito 1883 - 1945 Mussolini ALS "intervene the Lira currency on the New York stock exchange"!



Bi-fold ALS onThe Minister of Foreign Affairs letterhead, 8" x 10", dated "Rome, 5 August 1925", and signed by Benito Mussolini as "Mussolini". Scripted on the front of each page with the versos left blank.Pencil notes to the first page, with tiny hole along top left side passing through both sheets. Expected folds, else near fine.

An highly important and revealing ALS entirely in Mussolini's hand written to Giuseppe Volpi, who at the time was Italy's Minister of Finance and who successfully negotiated Italy's WWI debt repayment with the United States . Volpi was also later responsible for pegging the value of the Lira to the value of Gold, a highly relevant point as within the body of this ALS Mussolini exuberantly writes to Volpi "I believe that this is an appropriate time to express my opinion in favor of an intervention of half a million dollars a day for a sufficient number of days (not counting recovery in the event of a sharp fall) on the New York exchange in order to improve the Lira's exchange rate. It is necessary to avoid at all costs a cooling off the Lira and what comes with it."

An highly revealing ALS alluding to a lurid behind the scenes look at currency manipulation.

When Mussolini took over as Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 the economy was in a bad state following World War I. Between 1922 and 1925, the financial and economic situation generally improved dramatically and this helped to increase the power of Italy, who strived to be one of the world's leading countries. Italy wanted to restore some of its purchasing power. But in order for this to happen it was vital that they had a strong currency.

By 1925 the relatively stable Lira began a steady decline. This fall was caused not by conditions in Italy, but by international speculation against currencies not back by the gold standard. The lira continued to decline into 1926. It can be argued that this was not a bad thing for Italy, since it resulted in cheaper and more competitive exports and more expensive imports. Politically however the declining lira was disliked. Mussolini apparently saw it as "a virility issue"; the decline was an attack on his prestige. In the Pesaro Speech of August 18, 1926, he began the "Battle for the Lira". Mussolini made a number of strong pronouncements and set his position of returning the lira to its 1922 level, a policy implemented through an extended deflation of the economy. First he attempted Lira manipulation by declaring artificial exchange rates declaring that the exchange rate between lira and pound would be å£1 = 90 lire‰ÛÓthe so-called "Quota 90", (although the free exchange rate had been closer to 140-150 lire per pound). This already caused temporary deflation and widespread problems in the real economy. Then in 1927, the lira was pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 1 dollar = 19 lire. Finally Volpi implemented the gold standard, the money supply was reduced, and interest rates were raised. This action produced a sharp recession. This revaluation did little to improve the situation, however. It simply made Italian products expensive in an international market where prices were declining, and led to increased unemployment and a decline in real wages.

Artificially propping currency however never ends well. By 1946, once the currency was allowed to float, Italy's inflation reached a rate of 90% per year for several years bringing the Lira from an exchange rate of 1 dollar = 19 Lire, to 1 dollar = 225 Lira!

An incredible letter from a highly charged and volatile period of Italian history by one of the foremost fascist leaders of the 20th century. The letter as translated in full reads:

"Dear Volpi,

As I will be away from Rome for a few days, I am writing to tell you:

1. The Honorable Cremonesi came to see me to request one million for the season at the Costanzi, i.e. one million for the Carelli enterprise. Nothing!

2. I believe that this is an appropriate time to express my opinion in favor of an intervention of half a million dollars a day for a sufficent number of days (not counting recovery in the event of a sharp fall) on the New York exchange in order to improve the lira's exchange rate.



It is necessary to avoid at all costs a cooling off the lira and what comes with it.

Palermo, tariffs, taxes, securities, all well and good, but the only question mark is Suelli.

With lively cordiality,

Mussolini

Rome, 5 August 1925"

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