This museum has opened its doors several years ago and is accessible to all citizens who are interested in knowing the history of coins, but also a part of the state treasury.

Shpresa Lubonja, who is in charge of this museum, took ATA on a tour of all the museum stands showcasing all the stages of money production and development in Albania.

The Museum of the Bank of Albania contains a rich collection, like hoards, coins and banknotes, cheques, bonds, securities, lek bills, medals, as well as ethnographic objects, part of our cultural heritage.

The journey begins from the outset of exchange that once was payment in kind. “We are at the sector of ancient artefacts, such as axes, which mark the first moment of exchange instead of using a coin,” said Lubonja.

She went on sharing details from the sector of antiquity, the period of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Venice period up to the time of King Zog showing all the stages and specifics of all these periods.

“The basic materials that were used in these periods are gold, silver but also other metals which served to set the economy in train,” said Lubonja.

The Museum of the Bank of Albania has a rich collection of Albanian banknotes issued and used in Albania. This collection includes the first regional Albanian banknotes, the banknotes issued by the National Bank of Albania, the State Bank of Albania and the Bank of Albania, tests and specimen.
The ethnographic collection of the Bank of Albania, part of which is displayed in the temporary exhibition of the Museum, consists of silver objects from our ethnography, personal jewellery and religious objects. The diversity in this collection reveals the economic and cultural development stages of various social groups in Albania, as well as the lifestyle of the Albanian people during the period from mid XVIII century to the beginning of XX century.

The Museum of the Bank of Albania exhibits in its showcases print elements of coins and banknotes, sketches, dies and plates, as well as drawings of the banknotes in circulation.
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