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50 Centimes / ½ Frange
| Issuer | Territoire de Koritza (Lieutenant Colonel Commandant du Territoire) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Centimes |
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| Obverse description | Plain rectangular note with a simple typeset layout on unadorned paper stock. The heading 'Territoire de Koritza.' appears at the top in bold serif lettering, followed by a decorative rule and the denomination 'Cinquante Centimes' in large bold type. Below, the issuing authority 'Le Lieutenant Colonel Commandant du Territoire' is typeset to the right, accompanied by a handwritten signature and an oval military cachet stamp at the lower left reading 'ARMÉE D'ORIENT — COMMANDEMENT MILITAIRE'. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | Qarku i Korçës Mars 1920 Gjysmë Frange Timbre Timbrë |
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| Comments |
Koritza — or Korçë, in southern Albania — was administered by France as a semi-autonomous protectorate zone between 1916 and 1920, one of several competing foreign administrations carving up Albanian territory in the wake of the First World War. This note was issued under French military authority, specifically under the commanding lieutenant colonel of the territory, rather than any civilian banking institution. The denomination itself betrays the awkward hybrid nature of the occupation: "½ Frange" is not standard French monetary orthography — "franc" being the correct term — suggesting local improvisation in the printing.
France withdrew from Koritza in 1920 as the Conference of Ambassadors began formalizing Albanian borders, rendering these notes obsolete almost immediately after issue.