Albania 1968 50 leke
This specimen was lot 45274 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $1,140. The catalog description[1] noted, "ALBANIA. 50 Leke, 1968. Budapest Mint. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo. Featuring the Argirocastrum Ruins. Top pop with only three other examples in the NGC census." This type was struck 1968-70 with and without the fineness stamped into the reverse. Wikipedia comments, "Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania ...located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 metres above sea level. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site....It is the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha."
Recorded mintage: 3,120 proofs.
Specification: 9.87 g, 0.900 fine gold, AGW 0.2856 troy oz.
Catalog reference: Fr-21; KM-53.1.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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