[2] Before then, Albania was a country without a currency, adhering to a gold standard for the fixation of commercial values.

The majority of the population used gold and silver piastre or, gave up on money altogether and bartered instead.

[3] 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.

[5] Due to the gold standard, up until 1939, the leke did not experience significant inflation and the currency in circulation remained relatively constant.

This action, coupled with the introduction of the Italian lira in Albania, led to significant inflation and the devaluation of the leke.

[9] where Alexander's portrait appeared on the obverse of the 1 lek coin, while the reverse showed him on his horse.

Meanwhile, the other is that this currency was named after Lekë Dukagjini,[10] which is considered the official reason based on parliamentary discussions in the Parliament of Albania in 1922.

[11] The word qindarkë comes from the Albanian qind, meaning one hundred, or from Arabic qintār ("hundredweight").

Between 1926 and 1939, 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),[12] used in international transactions.

These coins were issued until 1941 and bear the portrait of Italian King Victor Emmanuel III on the obverse and the Albanian eagle with fasces on the reverse.

In 1969, a second series of aluminium 5, 10, 20, 50 qintars and 1 Lek coins was released commemorating the 1944 liberation from fascism.

On 1 January 1992, those coins lost their legal tender status, effectively making qintars obsolete.

In 2004, 50 Lekë was issued under the Albanian Antiquity theme depicting traditional costumes of Albania and the ancient Dea.

In 2005, 50 Lekë were issued for the 85th anniversary of the proclamation of Tirana as capital and the theme of traditional costumes of Albania.

A second series of notes was issued in 1976 when the country changed its name to the People's Socialist Republic.