Albania Coins Featuring Vittorio Emanuele III Re e Imperatore

I bought these at the Porta Portese Market in Rome back in the eighties.

 

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At least they were nice enough to add the Albanian version "Mbret e per(andor)" to the Italian title. Also interesting that the first coin just says "2 lek"; the post-WW2 issues from Albania use "lekë" for the plural. But I do not speak Albanian, so cannot tell whether that was an error or whether the language developed ...

Christian

 

The material used for these coins, and several others minted in Rome, is Acmonital - basically steel. Note there are two kinds of Acmonital, magnetic (these two are AFAIK) and non-magnetic (with less iron and some nickel).

And I agree, many fascist Italian coins are appealing probably because they have, or at least allude to, ancient Roman design elements. Now this one, well, the king with the helmet I do not like. The other side with the Albanian eagle and the fasces on each side is OK, but some Italian coins from those years are much better ...

Christian

 

Stainless steel

 

Albania's coins prior to WWII were also minted in Italy and designed by Italian artists, so they also have beautiful classical designs:

King Victor Emmanuel III was an avid numismatist, and he made sure that Italian coinage was artistically impressive during his reign:

 

Victor Emmanuel III coinage. I noticed comments from a member who purchased a coin of the "king Emperor" struck for Albanian purposes: these,alas, have been reproduced in mass....also comments were made about the artistical quality of coins struck during the period preceding the second World War. To confirm this comment, I am disclosing copy of a 2Lire silver coin dated 1915.The reverse reproduces a theme of Republican Rome in a style more akin to the Renaissance. If he did not select the theme personally, The King numismatist must have been very pleased !

 

I like the designs used on coins of Italy & Albania during the reign or Victor Emmanuel III 1900 to 1946.

 

An argument for Italy invading Albania was to remove the 'corrupt King' (of course he was getting funds from the Italians, so that seems a bit...convenient). Before the invasion they were trying to negotiate making Albanian a dependent state of Italy, a move King Zog was not interested in.

In more friendly times Italy was the nation most supportive of Albania's attempts to modernize. Afterwards, with the invasion, the money really didn't change too much in looks as the designers and primary production didn't change a bit.

Before the Italian occupation for example:





and after:






I don't have too many of the helmeted version (yet), but the non-helmeted ones sure are hard to tell from Zog. In person there was at least a foot of height difference. On the coins, not so much!

Shoot, the same design name is still on the coin even in 1950!

 

Awesome coins.

 

My newest Occupation coin...a coin I almost passed on as it was so dark. Bought it and was pleasantly surprised at the toning/tarnish after all. The bareheaded King plus a more prominent double headed eagle on this one. Plus the fasces, can't forget it's Italian after all.