100 Franga Ari Zog, Prova

The 1927 Albanian coinage program was part of Ahmet Zogu's calculated effort to establish credibility for his newly declared republic — he would crown himself King Zog I the following year. The Italian mint at Rome produced the official series, and pattern pieces like this one were struck to secure approval from Zogu's government before full production commenced. "Prova" denotes its status as a trial or proof submission rather than a circulating issue.

Survivors in any condition are genuinely scarce. Most known examples trace back to Italian numismatic collections, suggesting the bulk were retained at the mint rather than returned to Tirana.