New Lek 10,000 and Lek 1,000 Notes to Enter Circulation in 2020

TIRANA, June 9

The new Lek 10,000 banknote will enter circulation for the first in the last quarter of 2020, Monitor magazine reports. The Bank of Albania (BoA) started the introduction of the new series of banknotes in 2019. The first banknotes issued in the new series were the denominations of Lek 200 and Lek 5,000 and are in circulation since 30 September 2019. Meanwhile, the new denominations of Lek 1,000 and Lek 10,000 are expected to enter circulation this year. Further on, the new Lek 2,000 and Lek 500 banknotes will enter circulation respectively in 2021 and 2022.

However, BoA highlights that the production of a new series of banknotes is a complex process due to technical issues that can result in changes to planned schedules for putting in circulation the new banknotes.

According to the Bank of Albania, the new series of banknotes intertwines the maximal safety, the modern view, the artistic communication of historic message, and the high resistance during the usage. The new banknotes have been produced with the latest technology and innovative elements, thus making it hard to falsify them. In the case of the new Lek 200 banknote, which is made of polymer material, it is safe, more physically stable, and helps in the cleanliness of the banknote.
Check out the safety features of the Lek 200 and Lek 5,000 notes against light and under Ultraviolet light.

All of the current banknotes and coins, besides that of Lek 2,000, were approved in 1995 and were released into circulation in 1996. Meanwhile, in 2008 the new banknote Lek 2,000 was added to the series of banknotes, and at the end of 2011, it finished the legal course for the Lek 100 banknote (which since then is a coin). Regarding the current banknotes, they will continue to be in circulation at the same time with the new ones, and they will still be used for payments.

The design of the newest Lek 10,000 note has not been unveiled yet. The theme will be the national anthem and its author, the poet Asdreni.

Source: Monitor, BoA