Catalogue Albania

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the catalogue;
contact me if you want to purchase the catalogue.

1914 Non issued stamps, head of prince William

These stamps were issued for the prince, who was supposed to become the king of Albania, but he left the country before this happened. (These stamps exist cancelled to order):

Mystery stamp, 25 q with red double headed eagle, red 'VULE TAKSE' and black posthorn overprints.

1920 Man with double headed eagle in the background

  2 q orange
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q green
  1 F red

Overprinted with fancy 'BESA' in a label (1921)

  2 q orange
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q green
  1 F red

Overprinted with 'BESA' in a rectangle (1922)

The above stamp has only been issued overprinted with a posthorn (1920) or with 'BESA' in a label (1921). It has never been officially issued without any overprint (but does exist, when the posthorn was not printed in, see example above). It also exists with a 'Q 1' overprint in a rectangle (on top of the 'BESA' overprint, 1922):

Newspaper stamp of 1922; overprinted 'Q 1' in a rectangle (together with the 'BESA' overprint)

1923 Various scenes

Without overprint
  2 q orange
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q blue
  1 F violet
  2 F olive

Surcharged
  '= 1 =' on 2 q orange (1924)

With overprint 'Mbledhje Kushtetuese' and lozenge in violet and black

With 'Mbledhje Kushtetuese' overprint in black and violet and black lozenge overprint (on the value 25 q, the overprint 'Mbledhje Kushtetuese' seems to be slightly different from the other values).

  2 q orange
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q blue

With red '+' and surcharged in black (1924)

  '5 qind.' on 5 q green
  '5 qind.' on 10 q red
  '5 qind.' on 25 q blue
  '5 qind.' on 50 q blue

With additional large red cross (1924)

  '5 qind.' on 5 q green
  '5 qind.' on 10 q red
  '5 qind.' on 25 q blue
  '5 qind.' on 50 q blue

With overprint 'Trimf' i legalitetit Dhetuer 1924' (1924)
  2 q orange
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q blue
  1 F violet
  2 F olive
  '= 1 =' on 2 q orange

With overprint 'Republika Shqiptare' (1925):

  2 q orange
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q blue
  1 F violet
  2 F olive
  '= 1 =' on 2 q orange

With overprint 'Republika Shqiptare 21 Kallnduer 1925' (1925)

  2 q orange
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q blue
  1 F violet
  '= 1 =' on 2 q orange

1926 President Zog

  1 q orange
  2 q brown
  5 q green
  10 q red
  15 q brown
  25 q blue
  50 q green

Different design

  1 F red and blue
  2 F green and orange
  3 F brown and violet
  5 F violet and black

Overprinted with laurel and 'A.Z.' (1927)
  1 q orange (overprint violet)
  2 q brown (overprint green)
  5 q green (overprint red)
  10 q red (overprint blue)
  15 q brown (overprint green)
  25 q blue (overprint red)
  50 q green (overprint blue)
  1 F red and blue
  2 F green and orange
  3 F brown and violet
  5 F violet and black

Overprinted with laurel and 'A.Z.' and surcharged (1928)

  '= 1 =' on 10 q red (laurel overprint red)
  '= 5 =' (red) on 25 q blue (laurel overprint red)

Overprinted with laurel, 'A.Z.', 'Mbr.Shqiptare' and surcharged (1929)

  1 on 50 q green (laurel and 'A.Z.' overprint in blue)
  5 on 25 q blue (laurel and 'A.Z.' overprint in red)
  15 on 10 q red (laurel and 'A.Z.' overprint in blue)

With overprint 'RROFT-MBREITI 8X.1929' (only 5000 stamps issued,
    speculative issue)

  1 q orange
  2 q brown
  5 q green
  10 q red
  25 q blue
  50 q green (red overprint)
  1 F red and blue
  2 F green and orange

Mystery stamps 1 F blue and brown and 2 F green and brown in a slightly different design, proofs?

1928 Unissued stamps, overprinted

With overprint 'Kujtim i Mblehjes Kushtetuese 25.8.28'

  1 q red-brown
  2 q grey
  5 q green
  10 q red
  15 q brown
  25 q blue
  50 q lilac
  1 F blue and black (red overprint, larger different design)

With overprint 'Mbretnia Shqiptare' in an arc and 'ZOG I 1.IX.1928.'

  1 q red-brown
  2 q grey (red overprint)
  5 q green
  10 q red
  15 q brown
  25 q blue (red overprint)
  50 q lilac
  1 F blue and black (red overprint, larger different design)
  2 F green and black (red overprint, larger different design)

With overprint 'Mbretnia Shqiptare' in an arc

  1 q red-brown
  2 q grey
  5 q green
  10 q red
  15 q brown
  25 q blue
  50 q lilac
  1 F blue and black (larger different design)
  2 F green and black (larger different design)
  3 F red and brown (larger different design)
  5 F lilac and grey (larger different design)

1930 Various designs, inscription 'MBRETNIJA SHQIPTARE'

  1 q black (Butrinto-Ia)
  2 q red (design as 1 q)
  5 q green (King Zog facing the right)
  10 q red (design as 5 q)
  15 q brown (design as 5 q)
  25 q blue (design as 5 q)
  50 q green (design as 1 q)
  1 F violet (Ura Zog-U; bridge)
  2 F blue (design as 1 F)
  3 F dark green (ruins)
  5 F brown (design as 3 F)

Overprinted '1924 1934'
  1 q black 
  2 q red 
  5 q green 
  10 q red 
  15 q brown 
  25 q blue 
  50 q green
  1 F violet 
  2 F blue 
  3 F dark green 

Overprinted 'Mbledhja Kushtetuese 12-IV-1939 XVII' (1939)

  1 q black
  2 q red
  5 q green (overprint vertical)
  10 q red (overprint vertical)
  15 q brown (overprint vertical)
  25 q blue (overprint vertical)
  50 q green 
  1 F violet (overprint vertical)
  2 F blue (overprint vertical)
  3 F dark green 
  5 F brown

1937 25 years independence, inscription 'SHQIPNI 1912-1937'

  1 q grey (head of horse)
  2 q brown (eagle with wings downwards)
  5 q green (eagle with wings upwards)
  10 q olive (design as 1 q)
  20 q lilac (design as 1 q)
  15 q red (design as 2 q)
  25 q blue (design as 5 q)
  30 q olive (design as 2 q)
  40 q red (design as 5 q)

I've seen the values 20 q, 30 q and 40 q in a minisheet with inscription '1912 1937' on top and '25 VJETOR' I INDEPENDENCES SHQIPTARE VLEFTA 90 QIND' at the bottom.

1938 Royal wedding, inscription 'SHQIPNI 27 PRILL 1938', portraits of Geraldine and Zog

  1 q violet
  2 q red-brown
  5 q green
  10 q brown
  15 q red
  20 q violet
  25 q blue
  30 q olive
  50 q dark green
  1 F dark blue

I've seen the values 20 q and 30 q twice each on a minisheet with inscription 'MBRETNIJA SHQIPTARE' on top and 'MARTESA E MBRETIT EVENIMENT KOMBTAR VLEFTA: 1 FR.ARI' at the bottom.

1938 Inscription 'SHQIPNI 10 VJETORI I MBRENIS 1928 1938'

  1 q lilac (Queen)
  2 q red (eagle, helmet, goats head)
  5 q green (design as 1 q)
  10 q brown (King)
  15 q red (design as 1 q)
  20 q green (mythical scene)
  25 q blue (design as 10 q)
  30 q blue (King)
  50 q black
  1 Fr black (design as 10 q)

I've seen the values 30 q, 20 q and 15 q printed in a minisheet with '1.Shtatuer 1928-1938' on top and '10 vietori i Shpalljes se Mbretnis' at the bottom.

1939 Various designs (issued under Italian occupation)

  1 q grey (man with local costume)
  2 q green (man with local costume)
  3 q brown (woman with local costume)
  5 q green (King Victor Emanuel III facing the right)
  10 q brown (King Victor Emanuel III)
  15 q red (design as 10 q)
  25 q blue (design as 10 q)
  30 q violet (design as 10 q)
  50 q black (woman with local costume)
  65 q brown (design as 5 q)
  1 F grey (castle, larger design)
  2 F red-brown (bridge, larger design)
  3 F black (ruins, larger design)
  5 F black (ancient amphitheatre, larger design)

Surcharged
  '1 QIND' on 2 q green (1942)

Overprinted '14 Shtator 1943' in red (1943)

  '1 Qind' (red) on 3 q brown
  2 q green 
  3 q brown 
  5 q green 
  10 q brown 
  15 q red 
  25 q blue 
  30 q violet 
  '50 Qind' (red) on 65 q brown
  65 q brown 
  1 F grey 
  2 F red-brown 
  3 F black 

Overprinted 'QEVERIJA DEMOKRAT. E SHQIPERISE 22-X-1944' and surcharged

  '0,30' on 3 q brown
  '0,40' on 5 q green
  '0,50' on 10 q brown
  '0,60' on 15 q red
  '0,60' (overprint and surcharge in red) on 25 q blue
  'fr.sh. 1' (overprint and surcharge in red) on 30 q violet 
  'fr.sh. 2' on 65 q brown
  'fr.sh. 3' on 1 F grey
  'fr.sh. 5' on 2 F red-brown

1942 King Victor Emanuel III facing the left, inscription 'MBRETNIJA SHQIPTARE 16 PRILL 1939-XVII'

  5 q green
  10 q brown
  15 q red
  25 q blue
  65 q brown
  1 F grey
  2 F brown

1943 Anti tuberculosis issue, woman looking at baby (large sized stamps)

  5 q green
  10 q brown
  15 q red
  25 q blue
  30 q violet
  50 q orange
  65 q grey
  1 F brown

Unissued Stamp

Unissued stamp for Albania, overprint 'REGNO D'ALBANIA MBRETNIA SHQIPTARE Qind. 15' on 75 c red stamp of the imperial set of Italy of 1926

Airmail

1925

The first airmail stamps were issued in 1925, they have inscription 'POSTA AERORE SHQYPTARE': 5 q green, 10 q red, 25 q blue, 50 q green, 1 F violet and black, 2 F olive and violet, 3 F orange and green.

All values received an overprint 'REP. SHQYPTARE Fluturim' i I-ar Vlonë-Brindisi 21. IV. 1928' in 1928.

In 1929 these stamps (all 7 values) were overprinted 'Mbr. Shqiptare' in red (see image above).

1930 Image of King Zog and aeroplane above landscape, inscription 'MBRETNIA SHQYPTARE POSTA AJRORE'

  5 q green
  15 q red
  20 q blue
  50 q grey

Slighly different design
  1 F blue
  2 F brown
  3 F violet

Overprinted 'TIRANE-ROME 6 KORRIK 1931' (1931)
  5 q green
  15 q red
  20 q blue
  50 q grey

Overprinted 'Mbledhja Kushtetuese 12-IV-1939 XVII' (1939)
  5 q green
  15 q red
  20 q on 50 q grey

1939 King Victor Emanuel III of Italy in a circle, with aeroplane above landscape behind him

1940 Inscription 'MBRETNIJA SHQIPTARE POSTAT AJRORE', various designs

  5 q green (shepherds with aeroplane)
  15 q red (map with aeroplane)
  20 q blue (King Victor Emanuel III, harbour and aeroplane)
  50 q dark brown (local woman and aeroplane)
  1 F (aeroplane and bridge)
  2 F black (old town with aeroplane)
  3 F (people waving at aeroplane)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
All values except 50 q and 1 F	c	-
50 q	*	-
1 F	*	-

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 q	R	R
2 on 10 q	***	***
5 on 10 q	***	***
10 q	*	*
20 q	***	***
25 q	RR	RR
25 on 10 q	***	***
50 q	R	R
50 on 10 q	***	***

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
With Posthorn overprint
2 q	*	*
5 q	**	**
10 q	***	***
25 q	***	***
50 q	**	***
1 F	***	***
With fancy 'BESA' overprint
2 q	*	*
5 q	*	*	Exists with double overprint
10 q	*	*
25 q	**	**
50 q	**	**	Exists with double overprint
1 F	**	***
With 'BESA overprint in rectangle
5 q	*	*	Exists with double overprint
10 q	*	*	Exists with double overprint

ALBANIA 1920 onwards