Catalog
3 Lekë
| Issuer | Banka e Shtetit Shqiptar (State Bank of Albania) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1964-1976 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 3 Lekë (3 ALL) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A panoramic intaglio vignette occupies the left and centre of the note, presenting a coastal view of the city of Saranda with buildings along the shoreline, vessels in the harbour, and mountains in the background; an olive branch with fruit extends from the upper left corner. To the right, the Albanian state coat of arms — a double-headed eagle surmounted by a red star, with the date "24 MAJ 1944" on a ribbon — appears above a guilloché numeral "3" panel with floral underprint. |
| Reverse lettering | BANKA E SHTETIT SHQIPTAR Tre lekë LIGJA DËNON ATA QË FABRIKOJNË DHE NDAJNË BILETA TË FALLSIFIKUARA (Translation: State Bank of Albania / Three Lekë / The law punishes those who fabricate and distribute counterfeit banknotes) |
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| Comments |
Albania's banknotes of the 1964–1976 series were produced in China, a direct reflection of the peculiar diplomatic alignment that made Maoist China virtually Albania's only significant international partner after Tirana's rupture with Moscow in 1961 and the subsequent estrangement from Yugoslavia. The printing contract was part of broader Chinese material assistance to the Hoxha government, covering industrial equipment, military supplies, and — apparently — currency production.
The relationship collapsed acrimoniously after Mao's death and China's rapprochement with the West, with Albania formally denouncing Beijing in 1978. Notes from this series therefore mark a narrow and now-closed diplomatic window.