How much gold did King Bird take when he escaped? Historian Marenglen Kasmi speaks

2023-02-21 20:41:19Histori SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Ahmet Zogu

A few days ago, the Central Archives in Albania published a document showing how much gold King Zog took when he left Albania. The well-known historian Marenglen Kasmi, invited to the show "Albania" by Rudina Xhunga on Dritare TV, said that he has made a thorough analysis of this document. According to Kasmit, this document should not be taken as a basis. What we take as a basis, said Kasmi, is an official letter that can come from the Albanian state bank at the time, or a customs document

I think he is an Albanian army officer. While on the second page of the document explaining the reason why this document was written, it says: "Don't forget the brilliance that I am the first to greet with the fascist salute."

To me it is a person who is seeking a position and favor from the gentleman who addresses him. To make him believable, he gives him information about the gold that the Bird took with him.

The next question asked in a document evaluation is where the information comes from. We cannot say that the Greek customs told them this figure, even today we take it for granted historically. This one does not work at customs, but even if it did, it is not an official document. If it was a document issued by the Greek or even the Albanian customs, despite the fact that neither one nor the other has left notes on the case in question. That part of the passage is described. There was a customs stop, it was verified. But the order to allow the Bird column to pass came from above, that is, from Athens. The bird was delayed at Kapshtica customs, but not stopped. It is not a document that we can take as a basis. What we take as a basis is an official letter that can come from the bank of the Albanian state at the time, or a customs document.said Kasmi.

Kasmi said that this is a document that cannot be referred to as true, but making a calculation of the figures of the figures that appear on the paper, he said that the value of the mentioned gold, translated today, amounts to 120 million dollars.

"I have made an approximate calculation of the figures mentioned in the document, with today's values. They are huge sums. A gold napoleon had about 20 francs of gold, and a gold franc, if we refer to the largest one-cent denomination, had 0.29 grams of gold in its composition. If we refer to this amount, a staggering figure emerges. 250 thousand gold napoleons is not a little. Translated into today's figures, it is 120 million dollars.

But this is a document that means nothing to a professional. Because it doesn't give you the possibility of reliable information to refer to. This document is the same as being issued by an official today and taken for reference tomorrow. We still don't know who this person was, what he stood for. However, this document raises a problem that is still open today. But the Archives must be careful when releasing such documents. Because the documents that are published must have the force of truth and reference. So it should be proven and indisputable", said Mr. Kasmi.

How much gold did King Bird take when he escaped? Historian Marenglen Kasmi
Marenglen Kasmi

The historian says that Zogu received 448,535 gold francs.

"Zogu took from the state treasury 448,535 gold francs divided as the director of the bank says in 13 stratagems. So that's what he found, that's what he got. Here we also refer to a report by the Minister of Finance of the time, that is Kolë Thaçi, who says that on April 6, the king called him and said: Give me a report on the state of the gold we have in the treasury. This is the amount that was in the state treasury on the eve of the Italian invasion. So after he ordered the minister to make the report on April 6, a day later, a lieutenant of Zogu, together with two soldiers of the guard, were sent by Zogu to the Albanian State Bank, where the director of the treasury is Kel Naraçi and the general treasurer is Ramadan Berberolli. they take 13 small sacks and take them to the king. This refers to the official report made by the director of the bank. As for the reason, what has been said after the gold was delivered, as it was delivered, the Council of Ministers had to sign for the gold to be delivered. Berberolli waited for hours to receive this document and never received it", said the historian.

How many lek did King Zog have in the bank?

"Before leaving, Zogu also ordered the receipt of the money he had deposited in the state coffers on his account. It is 118,195 gold francs. King Zog's treasury was actually about 3 times the state's treasury.

All these sums, i.e. the money of the state, the treasury and their own, and all together were about 164 kilograms of gold.

But there is another part of the wealth he had in the Palace, which is almost unknown. Money in the form of jewels, in gold bars, since Zogu received large gifts from Italy since 1925.

A gold napoleon at this time was equal to 20 gold francs, and if we count it in gold napoleons, there are about 27,800 gold napoleons that Zogu had with him, from two sources, from the state treasury and his own. If we calculate in dollars, 164 kilograms of gold cost about 12.3 million US dollars", said Kasmi on Dritare TV.

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