On February 16, 1922, the official Albanian currency was named “Lek”.

The General Directorate of Archives says that there are many discussions regarding the origin of the name of the Albanian currency. According to the hypothesis of Italian scholars in publications of the ’30s and ’40s, the name derives from the Christian name of our national hero, Skanderbeg.

Meanwhile, there are other hypotheses that dictate that the name was given in honor of Alexander or Alexander the Great.

According to parliamentary discussions in 1922, among the proposals were “Skënder or Shqipe”. Until 1947, when the relevant decree law was adopted, the “Frang” paper coins would circulate simultaneously with the monetary unit of the Lek.

/k.s/