The 5 per cent nine-year Treasury Bonds (BTPs) in bearer form issued by the Italian Republic under Law No. 8 of 23 January 1958 converted into Law No. 84 of 23 February 1958 and the Ministerial Decree of 27 February 1958 were a specific type of public debt security issued by the Italian State.
These nine-year 5% BTPs were multi-year bonds with a maturity of nine years. They offered a fixed interest rate of 5% and could be held in bearer form.
The title of these BTPs featured a design taken from the painting by Gianbattista Tiepolo (1696-1770) entitled 'Neptune Offers Gifts to Venice'. Gianbattista Tiepolo was a famous Venetian painter, known for his Baroque works. The image depicted Neptune, the god of the sea, offering gifts to the city of Venice. This painting was a tribute to the historical and cultural importance of Venice as a maritime city.
These BTP bearer bonds had denominations ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 Italian lira (before the introduction of the euro). Smaller denominations, such as 5,000 lira, were an affordable option for investors with limited financial means, while larger denominations, such as 100,000 lira, were suitable for investors with greater investment capacity.
