50 leke 1976
Market Prices
22 salesAbout This Note
This is a 1976 Albanian 50 leke note in Uncirculated condition, featuring vibrant red-brown and multicolored printing with excellent color preservation and no visible wear. The obverse depicts soldiers on parade with an Albanian flag alongside a portrait of Skanderbeg in military dress, while the reverse showcases socialist-era imagery with a rifle, pickaxe, and modernist building under construction—symbolizing Albania's post-war industrial development. This is a common denomination from Albania's mid-period currency issues, with modest collector demand reflected in secondary market prices typically ranging from $6-$15 for UNC examples.
Common. This is a standard regular-issue denomination from a 46-year period of currency circulation (1976-2002, until euro adoption preparations). Secondary market data shows consistent UNC sales between $6.50-$14.00 over the past 15 years, with 2019 catalog valuation at $15 UNC—well within the range for common, readily available notes. Print runs for this denomination were substantial, and the note remains plentiful in collector markets.
Issued during the reign of Enver Hoxha's socialist People's Republic of Albania, this 1976 note reflects the regime's emphasis on military strength and industrial progress. The depicted soldiers, weapons, and construction imagery embody the state's propaganda celebrating national defense and rapid modernization through collective labor, while the Skanderbeg portrait invokes Albanian national identity and historical resistance to Ottoman rule—a recurring theme in Albanian communist iconography.
The obverse features a military parade scene on the left with uniformed soldiers carrying an Albanian eagle flag, alongside a right-facing portrait of Skanderbeg (national hero and 15th-century resistance leader against Ottoman expansion) wearing period military dress and headwear. Ornate floral and rosette border patterns frame both sides, with the denomination prominently displayed in corners and within an ornamental cartouche. The reverse depicts socialist-era imagery: a large rifle in the foreground, a multi-story modernist building under active construction with visible cranes, and the Albanian national eagle emblem within a circular wreath containing a radiant star. The red-burgundy and pink color palette with cream and yellow accents creates a cohesive, dignified presentation emphasizing national pride and state power.
Front side: 'BANKA E SHTETIT SHQIPTAR' (Bank of the Albanian State), 'PESËDHJETE LEKË' (Fifty leke), 'I PAGUREN PRURËSIT ME TË PARË' (Payable to bearer on demand), '1976' (year), '50' (denomination), serial number 'XC 961868'. Back side: 'BANKA E SHTETIT SHQIPTAR' (Bank of the Albanian State), 'Pesëdhjete lekë' (Fifty leke), '50' (denomination), '1976' (year), 'LIGJA DËNON ATA QË FABRIKOJNË DHE NDAJNË BILETA TË FALSIFIKUARA' (The law punishes those who manufacture and distribute counterfeit banknotes).
Offset lithography on multicolored underprint, executed with the characteristic clarity and color registration typical of Chinese banknote printers in the 1970s. The note exhibits the refined detail and precise alignment documented in realbanknotes.com as 'Chinese printing,' consistent with Albania's currency production partnerships during this period. Security features include ornate border and corner rosette designs intended to deter counterfeiting, supported by the prominent counterfeit warning text on the reverse.
The observed serial number prefix 'XC' indicates a standard printing variety. PMG population records show two catalogued variants for Pick-45 (P-45s1 and P-45s2), distinguished by watermark types (Bank Initials around radiant star, repeated). This example exhibits the documented watermark pattern and appears to correspond to one of the standard varieties. No overprints, date variations, or signature variants are apparent in the visual analysis; this represents the standard 1976 issuance type with uniform design elements across the print run.
