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0.25 Franga Argjent
| Issuer | Municipality of Korçë (Bashkija e Korçës) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Frang Ar (1926-1939) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Printed in red with a guilloche-decorated rectangular border. The denomination '0.25' appears in large numerals at centre, with the issuer inscription 'BASHKIJA E KORÇES' along the upper field and 'FRG. ARGJENT' below. Two manuscript signatures appear at the lower left and right, flanking a handwritten date, with the text 'PAGUHET NE TIU CFAQUR' and 'BHETARI' inscribed beneath the denomination. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Protection description | Circular official handstamp applied to the reverse over the central vignette as a validation mark. |
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| Comments |
The Municipality of Korçë issued its own fractional currency in 1923 because the new Albanian state still lacked a functioning national bank — the Banka Kombëtare e Shqipërisë would not be established until 1925. Local authorities in several towns filled the vacuum with municipally-backed scrip. Korçë, having operated as a French-administered autonomous zone from 1916 to 1920, had more administrative infrastructure than most, which made this kind of local monetary initiative feasible.
The handstamp is the only security measure — a frank acknowledgment of the improvised nature of the issue.