Catalog
20 Franga Overprinted on P#7
| Issuer | Banka e Shtetit Shqiptar |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Franga Ari = 100 Lek (100 ALK) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse carries a central vignette of a reclining figure of Roma at the bottom centre, with a wolf nursing Romulus and Remus to the right, rendered in intaglio style typical of Banca d'Italia productions. A rectangular overprint at right replaces the original bank name with that of the Banka Kombëtare e Shqipnis, applied over the earlier P#7 note. Ornate guilloche borders frame the design, with denomination numerals at the corners. |
|---|---|
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
After the liberation of Albania in late 1944, the new communist-led provisional government inherited a chaotic currency supply — multiple occupation-era issues, Italian colonial notes, and the prewar Franga series all circulating simultaneously. Rather than print entirely new stock immediately, Banka e Shtetit Shqiptar applied overprints to existing inventory, including the earlier Banca Nazionale d'Albania 20 Franga (Pick 7), which had originally been produced in Rome during the Italian protectorate period.
The overprint transformed an instrument of occupation-era finance into nominally sovereign Albanian paper — a stopgap pending the 1947 monetary reform that abolished the Franga entirely in favor of the new Lek.