Albania's monetary system was built from scratch following Ahmet Zogu's consolidation of power, with the 1926 coinage series representing the first issues of the newly declared republic — Zogu would not crown himself king until 1928. The Italian mint at Rome struck these pieces, reflecting Albania's deep financial dependency on Mussolini's government, which had bankrolled Zogu's return to power after his 1924 exile.
This is a prova — an official trial or pattern strike produced for approval rather than circulation. The Pagani reference confirms Italian documentation of the piece, as provas of this series were catalogued by the Rome mint's own records.
Albania's monetary system was built from scratch following Ahmet Zogu's consolidation of power, with the 1926 coinage series representing the first issues of the newly declared republic — Zogu would not crown himself king until 1928. The Italian mint at Rome struck these pieces, reflecting Albania's deep financial dependency on Mussolini's government, which had bankrolled Zogu's return to power after his 1924 exile.
This is a prova — an official trial or pattern strike produced for approval rather than circulation. The Pagani reference confirms Italian documentation of the piece, as provas of this series were catalogued by the Rome mint's own records.