Benito Mussolini Signature with Vittorio Emanuele III – Certified Autographs, 1 July 1937 (Milella)

Description

The original signature of Benito Mussolini, signed in ink and certified as authentic, countersigned beneath that of King Vittorio Emanuele III on an Italian royal decree of 1 July 1937 concerning Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Milella of the Royal Carabinieri.

An original Italian royal decree dated at San Rossore on 1 July 1937, signed in ink by King Vittorio Emanuele III and countersigned by Benito Mussolini as Head of Government and Minister for War. Both signatures are large, clear and placed exactly where the constitutional procedure required them, on a working state document that was afterwards processed by the Ministry of War and registered with the Corte dei Conti.

What does the decree say?

The printed heading gives the King’s full style at the time: Vittorio Emanuele III, per Grazia di Dio e per Volontà della Nazione, Re d’Italia, Imperatore d’Etiopia. After the list of laws and decrees on which it rests, the decree is issued “on the proposal of the Head of Government, Prime Minister Secretary of State and Minister Secretary of State for War”.

The manuscript operative text places Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Milella of the Royal Carabinieri (CC.RR., Carabinieri Reali) in the auxiliary category on grounds of age, with seniority from 27 November 1930. The minister is charged with its execution, and the decree is to be registered with the Corte dei Conti. It closes Dato a San Rossore, addì 1 luglio 1937 – Anno XV, using the Fascist-era year count.

The subject is a routine personnel matter, and that is precisely its documentary value: the signatures belong to the ordinary working of the state, not to a souvenir or a piece prepared for signing.

Why are both signatures on one decree?

In the Kingdom of Italy, royal decrees were issued in the King’s name and countersigned by the responsible minister, who took political responsibility for the act. Here the responsible minister was Mussolini himself, who then held the War portfolio in addition to heading the government. The document therefore shows, on a single sheet, the institutional relationship between the monarchy and the Fascist government in the late 1930s.

The King’s style as “Emperor of Ethiopia”, assumed after the conquest of 1936, dates the document firmly to the period of the Italian empire.

The signatures

The King signs “Vittorio Emanuele” in a very large, flowing hand across the lower part of the sheet. Mussolini signs “Mussolini” below and to the right, clearly separated and fully legible. Between them is a manuscript reference to the 1937 official bulletin (B.U. 1937, Disp. 47). Neither signature is crowded by text, which makes the lower section particularly strong for display.

The administrative trail

The reverse records the decree’s passage through the administration: a Ministero della Guerra – Ragioneria Centrale entry dated 28 July 1937 and registration with the Corte dei Conti dated 3 August 1937, with register and folio references and manuscript authorisations. A manuscript address in the left margin (Via Imbriani 48, Bari) appears to be a later administrative annotation.

Why collect it?

Documents bearing both Vittorio Emanuele III and Mussolini are a recognised field in twentieth-century autograph collecting. This one combines two prominent signatures with a complete official context: printed royal heading, manuscript decree, place and date, and the ministerial and audit registrations that followed. It also touches Italian military and Carabinieri history.

For a second decree of the same summer, reversing an earlier decree after a Council of State judgment, see the Mussolini and Vittorio Emanuele III decree of 25 June 1937 (DOC187).

A third decree from the same summer, with exceptionally large signatures, is also available: 8 July 1937 (DOC188).

Also available: certified signatures on the decree of 25 June 1937 (DOC189).

See also the certified Mussolini signature on the decree concerning General Luca de Luca (DOC190).

Condition

Good condition for a large official document of 1937:

• Age toning, minor staining and handling marks.
• Wear and small losses along the left binding margin, with filing holes.
• Light creasing.
• Administrative manuscript annotations, as described.
• Registration marks on the reverse clear.
• Both signatures strong and clear.

All photographs show the actual document offered and form part of this condition description.

Frequently asked questions

Who signed the document?
King Vittorio Emanuele III and Benito Mussolini, both in ink.

When and where was it issued?
At San Rossore, 1 July 1937 (Anno XV).

What did it decide?
The placing of Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Milella of the Royal Carabinieri in the auxiliary category on grounds of age.

Are the signatures certified?
Yes. Both signatures have been examined and certified as authentic by Juan García Nicolás, qualified handwriting examiner.

Was it registered?
Yes. The reverse records the Ministry of War accounts office (28 July 1937) and the Corte dei Conti (3 August 1937).

Authenticity

Both signatures have been examined and certified as authentic by Juan García Nicolás, qualified graphologist and handwriting examiner (perito calígrafo, trained at Ipsigrap) and editor of Autographs & Militaria. The certification rests on a consistent set of features rather than any single indicator: the handwriting characteristics of each signature compared with documented examples, the ink and writing pressure on the paper, and the coherence of the whole document, from its printed royal heading and manuscript decree to the contemporary Ministry of War and Corte dei Conti registrations on the reverse.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This document is offered exclusively as a historical artefact for collecting, preservation, education and research. Its association with Fascist Italy forms part of its original historical context. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify fascism or the political system it represents.

References & Further Reading

• Normattiva, Legge 18 maggio 1936, n. 867 – conversion of R.D.-L. 9 maggio 1936, n. 754, on Italian sovereignty over Ethiopia and the King’s assumption of the title Imperatore d’Etiopia.