These nine-year BTPs offered a fixed interest rate of 5% and had a maturity of nine years. Investors holding these securities received annual interest equal to 5% of the nominal value of the security.
The title of these nine-year BTPs featured the 'Portrait of a Man' by Antonello da Messina (1430-1479). Antonello da Messina was a renowned Italian Renaissance painter and his 'Portrait of a Man' was one of his most famous works. The choice of using this work as the image on the BTPs' title was a way of representing Italian art and culture.
The bearer bonds of these BTPs had denominations ranging from 5,000 to 1,000,000 Italian lire (before the introduction of the euro). This meant that the securities could be purchased in different denominations, depending on the investor's financial means.