Nazionali (Filtro with ship) KS-20-S (white and red and blue) - Italy
Nazionali (Filtro / with ship) /KS-20-S/ (white & red & blue) - Italy
This is the typical package of "Nazionali Filtro" produced for more than 20 years, from '60s to '80s. The corresponding version without filter, package white and blue, called in Italy "Nazionali Semplici" (Simple Nationals), was part of the "Mobile Scale Basket". In other words, the Nazionali were taken together with other products of popular consumption to measure the inflation index. That's why, for a long period, "Nazionali Semplici" were sold at a very low price (200 lire each package in the '80s, about 10 modern Euro cents), that could increase only if the inflation index was increasing too. Despite they were very cheap and very difficult to be found at the tobacconists', "Nazionali semplici" were very appreciated due to their tasty, strong, brown tobacco similar to French Caporal. As a consequence of the negative advertisement to tobacco, "Nazionali semplici" were removed from the Basket in the '90s and their price grew consequently. The proposed image shows a typical "Nazionali Filtro" package of '70s. Sold in an economic package without cellophane, the golden ship painted on the envelope paper represents the old symbol of Italian "Monopoli di Stato", i.e. the Italian national industry of tobacco. The "Nazionali Filtro" filter was very cheap, not particularly effective and simply made with rolled paper, as well as for other Italian cigarettes belonging to the cheapest range of tobacco market (e.g. Super Filter, Stop Filter, Alfa Filter etc.).
