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1/2 Lek
| Issuer | Albania |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926 |
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| Currency | Old lek (1926-1965) |
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| Obverse description | The Albanian double-headed eagle displayed, with wings and talons spread, rendered in high relief in a heraldic style. The legend SHQIPNI arcs across the upper field, flanked on either side of the eagle's necks, with the date 1926 positioned in the lower exergue. Two small decorative dots flank the date at the base of the design. The eagle's plumage is finely detailed, engraved in the neoclassical manner characteristic of the Italian mint's output of the period. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Albania's first national coinage, issued in 1926, was struck in Rome under Mussolini's government as part of an Italian effort to entrench financial influence over the young Albanian state. The arrangement suited Ahmet Zogu, who had declared himself President the year prior and needed external backing — monetary and otherwise — to consolidate power. Italian mints produced the entire inaugural series.
The Rome Mint's work on this issue is generally clean, though the nickel alloy used across the series was sourced and specified by Italian authorities rather than Albanian ones.