1/2 Lek

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.