Under the direction of Benito Mussolini, Italy invaded and occupied Albania and issued a new series of coins in 1939 in denominations of Lek 0.20, Lek 0.50, 1 Lek and 2 Lek in stainless steel, and silver 5 Lek, and 10 Lek. These coins depict the mint marks 'R', 'V' or 'L', indicating Rome, Vienna or London. This coin series depicted distinct neoclassical motifs, said to have been influenced by the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III who was known to have been a coin collector. In 1935, bronze 1 and 2 gold cents were issued, equal in value to the 5 and 10 qintars respectively. The obverse of the franc coins depicts King Zog. In 1926, bronze coins were introduced in denominations of 5 and 10 qintars, together with nickel 1⁄ 4 Lek, 1⁄ 2 Lek and 1 Lek, and silver Fr.A. 1, Fr.A. 2 and Fr.A. 5. This unit was similar in concept to the Belga, a unit worth five Belgian francs. The word is thus comparable to centime, cent, Latin centenarius, etc.īetween 19, the main unit of Albanian currency was the franga ari (English: gold franc) (Fr.A.), worth 5 Lek and divided into 100 qindar ar ( gold cent), used in international transactions. The word qindarkë comes from the Albanian qind, meaning one hundred, or from Arabic qintār ('hundredweight'). Alexander's portrait appeared on the obverse of the 1 lek coin, while the reverse showed him on his horse. The lek was named after Alexander the Great, whose name is often shortened to Leka in Albanian. In 1923 Italian paper circulated at Shkodër, Durrës, Vlorë, and Gjirokastër, and the Greek drachma at Korçë, the values of which varied according to locality and the prevailing rates of exchange as compared with gold. Before the First World War the Ottoman Turkish piastre was in full circulation, but following the military occupation of the country by various continental powers the gold franc ( Franc Germinal) was adopted as the monetary unit.

īefore then, Albania was a country without a currency, adhering to a gold standard for the fixation of commercial values. The lek was introduced as the first Albanian currency in February 1926.

Alexander the Great on the first Albanian 1 Lek coin.

1000 lek to euro