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NUMISMATICS
By Jaho Brahaj
Albanian numismatics began in the last decades
of the 5th century B.C., when in Apollonia and Durrs,
the first coins were produced, which displayed the name
of these Illyrian cities.
The geographical position favored the Illyrians
regarding economical and cultural development in Mediterranean civilization. The development of slavery relations and of the trade and artisan centers of Illyria resulted in the necessity to exchange coins, which were
used in the Mediterranean in the 7th century B.C. Southern Illyria reached a high degree of development in the 4th-2nd centuries B.C, the time when powerful Illyrian states were founded and new
Illyrian cities were established.
Axes used only for
exchanging goods
It is interesting to notice, that in the Illyrian territory, bronze
axes were discovered, pre-dating the coin production (12th- 10th century B.C.), which were used as bronze masses of a guaranteed value
in the market.
Coin of Pyrrhus of
Epirus, 3rd century B.C.
Coin from Lezha
(Lysis), 3rd century B.C.
The ancient cities of Durres (Durrahu) and Apollonia influenced
the other centers of Illyria to produce their own coins. To number are
the following centres: Molos State, Epirote League, Moloseve Tribe,
Amanteve Tribe with their center city Amantia (Ploa e Vlors), Lisitan
Tribe with their center in Lezha (Lisi), Labian Tribe (that lived in the
highlands of Shkodra and Puka, including Montenegro), the cities of
Shkodra, Finiqi (Phoenician), Orikum (Oriku), Butrint, Mavrova
(Olympas) of Vlora, Hekali (Byllis) of Mallakastra
and so on.
If we add to these centers the coins
featuring written names of the kings like: Monun,
Mytil and Gent, the coins produced in
Damastion (Janjev) from the Dardans and those
of many other northern coastal Illyrian centers
close to the Adriatic sea, then we notice that
Coin of Monun King, 3rd
century B.C.
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the producing workshops in Illyria had a wide expansion in the country. This indicates an economical, cultural and political development
of Southern Illyria as well.
Following the example of the
Mediterraneans, the ancient coins of the
many Illyrian centers made use of writings
in the Greek (Hellenic) Language which
was the fashion and style of the time.
Their coins and emblems, aside
from being indicators of economical development, have value as importance heritage and the level of artistic expression.
Treasure of ancient coins
discovered in Albania
Coin of King Gent, 2nd
century B.C.
Most of coins are magnificent artworks, with carved shapes from the best
masters of the time and are of interest to antique arts researchers.
An important and irreplaceable object, not very well studied, is the
Ilyrian pantheon, authoctone and typical Illyrian, inherited for thousands of years that is widely displayed with ethnic individuality in the
Illyrian coin emblems.
Coin from Shkodra, 2nd
century B.C.
The emblem symbols of the Ilyrian coins are special, because
there are not only the displays of the kings portraits, but also mythological figures and sometimes the products equal to the exchange
value of the coin. There is also a unique case with the Epiriot coins,
where is displayed the portrait of the King Pirro,
and this coin was produced not in Illyria but during
the military expedition in Italy.
Coin from Movrova
(Olympe), 3rd century B.C.
Most of the Illyrian coins have the
portrait of the pre- Illyrian (pellazge) myths, gods
and goddesses on both sides. These treasures
are sources for knowing the pagan religious cult
of the Illyrian people, Southern Illyria and Epirus.
Typical mythological figures in Illyrian coins are
as follows: Amantatia, has the head of Zeus and
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the lighting or the oak crown.Byllis has an eagle, the
lighting and the fire of Nymphean; Lisi (Lezha) has
the bust of the Illyrian god Redon and on the back
the lightning, and others feature the goat and the lightning; Shkodra has the head of Zeus. The bust of Zeus
is found also on other coins in Amantia and Durrs
among others, testifying that this god was adored in
all Illyrian territory, as a local and inherited god. We
know that saint attributions that personified the god
Zeus, were the oak, the eagle and the goat, and lightning was the fighting gun of Zeus. A coin produced in Lezha, shows
graphically an unknown god of the Illyrian pantheon, with Redon, the
god of waters and sea. The name of this Illyrian god is preserved in
the name of a geographical location, the Cape of Redon.
Coin from Damastion city
of Dardania
The display of a helmet that is of different shape compared to the neighboring countries, that is found in many samples
in archaeological excavations, is a convincing and solid argument that defines the Illyrian helmet, and not as a GreekIllyrian helmet.
The Illyrian coins of Shkodra, Lisitanve (Lezha),
Labianve and Daors, have chosen the ship as their emblem on
the coins, that had an important economical and military impact in the life of the people. It also show us the shape and the
construction of the typical Illyrian ships which are known in history as
the Liburn Ship. It is important to note that the masters who engraved
the emblems of these coins, even though working on a small surface
of few millimeters, have achieved to design artistically the main features of the ship.
Venetian coin of Dalm et
Alban
After the occupation of Illyria from the Roman Empire, the local coin workshops continued
to function, but the production was controlled and
used for the economical needs of the Empire, however in some coins the name of the city was written.
Medieval Venedik (Venice) produced a new
coin for the Balkan territories, where it was written
Dalmat et Alban.
The second important stage for the Albanian numismatics is
the Medieval period, when Albania applied the feudal economical system and there was an increase in numbers of the Albanian princes
and nobles. The economical income and independence of the princes
brought the production of the coins from the Princes of Balshaj and
Gropa, which had its center in Oher (Ohrid).
Paper money of
Korca Republic
The economical development of the medieval cities with good
markets and community governing status produced the local city coins
5 Francs, 1927
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of Shkodra, Ulqin, Drisht (Drivast) and Shas (Sva). One
document tells about the use of the tools and the masters production of the coins also in Kruja during
Skanderbegs State, but there is not yet a sample and it
is not known if this coin was ever produced in Kruja in the
15th century.
WWII coin
WWII coin
The modern Albanian state of the 20th century had
its own coins and paper money. Production in the 20th
century began with the paper money of the Regional Municipality of Kora in 1917, and other paper money was
produced in city municipalities in the coming years.
The first Albanian coins were produced in 1926, and
the unit was called Lek, in honor of Alexander the Great,
and like in the paper money of that period displayed emblems featuring subjects from the cultural tradition of the
people. In the following years, the portrait of the Albanian
Monarch dominates the coinage. From the Albanian Monarchy, commemorative coins of special value for the collectors of Albanian numismatics, were produced such as
5 Fr. Ar (i.e.5 Fr. Gold) and the productions 1 and 2 Fr.
Ar., for the 25th anniversary of declaration of Albanian Independence (1937).
During World War II, the coins and paper money of
the Albanian Bank had ideological symbols of the Fascist
occupation, and were used during this period in the Albanian territories of Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro.
1930 coin
20th century
Albanian coins
After 1944, a new stage began for the coins and
the paper money of the Albanian State. The paper money
had several productions, starting with the unit Frang and
from the year 1947 was referred to as Lek, which is the
same unit in use today.
Collectors of Albanian numismatics have been documented since the 17th
century, including the family of Dukagjin
that immigrated to Dubrovnik and Venice.
At the end of the 19th century and in the
20th century there are some well known
collectors of Illyrian numismatics, such
as Lef Nosi (Elbasan), Eqrem Vlora
(Vlor), Shtjefn Gjeovi (JanjevKosovo), Kol Gjini (Shkodra) and the
rich collections of the Jewish and
Franciscan Museum in Shkodra. There
was a great deal of damages to the Albanian numismatic collections during
World War II. In 1947, with the estab-
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lishment of the Ethnographic- Archaeological Museum in Tirana, from
the archives of archaeological discoveries and returning of objects
from private and museum collections, the Numismatic Cabinet was
opened and at the present is operated by Centre of Albanalogical
Studies. At the present, there are affirmed numismatic collectors in
Albania and they also have unique samples of Illyrian coins.
Author: Jaho Brahaj
