Catalog
5 Lek / 1 Frank Ar
| Issuer | Banka Kombëtare e Shqipnis |
|---|---|
| Year | 1925 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANKA KOMBËTARE E SHQIPNIS BANCA NAZIONALE D'ALBANIA PESË LEK CINQUE LEK 1 FRANK AR ~ 1 FRANCO ORO TË PAGUESHËME NË TË PAME PRUËSIT PAGABILI AL VISTA AL PORTATORE KRYETARI IL PRESIDENTE KËSHILLITARI SEKRETAR IL CONSIGLIERE SEGRETARIO (Translation: National Bank of Albania Five Lek 1 Gold Franc Payable to the bearer) |
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| Variants | P#1a - Issued note P#1s - Specimen |
| Comments |
Banka Kombëtare e Shqipnis was established in 1925 under Italian financial sponsorship — Rome effectively controlled its founding capital and governance, and the Richter printworks in Naples securing the contract was no coincidence. The dual denomination, 5 Lek on one side and 1 Frank Ar on the other, reflects the transitional currency system Albania was navigating that year, with the gold frank (franga ar) and lek running in parallel before the lek was fully established as the primary unit.
As the first Pick-listed Albanian note, it anchors every serious collection of Balkan paper money from the interwar period.