Orders, decorations, and medals of Albania

In 1960, the law On the creation of the honorary titles in the arts sector (Albanian: Mbi krijimin e titujve të nderit në sektorin e arteve) was passed by the Presidium of the People's Assembly.

[9] Albanian orders and medals from the socialist period are poorly understood and seldom collected, even after three decades since the regime's collapse in 1992.

While the awards of many other communist states flooded the market in the mid-1990s (most notably those of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, and East Germany), Albanian medals continue to remain elusive for many.

The manufacturing of Albanian awards has undergone several phases and seems to fall in line with Albania's shifting alliances during Enver Hoxha's regime.

These awards were established for services in the anti-Fascist and partisan campaigns of World War II against both the Italians and Germans and carried a great deal of prestige.

The 1965 awards structure remained largely intact with several minor additions and modifications up through to the collapse of the communist government.