Check out this 1926 Albanian coin!

Well, just when I think that I have found my favorite horse-themed coin, I stumble upon another that absolutely takes my breath away. This new coin is exactly that for me.

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Coin: Albania, 1926R 1 Lek

Grade: NGC MS65

The Lek was introduced in 1926 by King Ahmet Zogu as the unit of currency of Albania. It was likely named after Alexander the Great, whose image is shown in bust form on the obverse of this coin, and who is shown on the reverse on horseback wielding a sword and charging into battle. The obverse bears the text "SHQIPNI" which is the Albanian language word for the country of Albania, derived (according to Wikipedia) from the word "shqip" which roughly translates as "understanding each-other".

This first year coin was minted in Rome, Italy (Mint mark "R"), while subsequent years of this coin were sometimes also minted in Vienna (Mint mark "V"). The amount of detail in the bust design is phenomenal, and the beauty and simplicity of the reverse featuring the rider on horse is breathtaking. NGC has graded 117 of this particular coin, which is quite high for a foreign coin. Several examples exist in MS66 and even 2 in MS67, but I am very happy to add this little gem to my custom themed set as MS65.

Happy collecting!

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