Coins of Romania: modern and old. The most interesting Romanian coins

Romania is a state in the southeastern part of Europe that arose around the middle of the 19th century. Until 1947 it was known as the Kingdom of Romania, and from 1947 to 1989 - the Socialist Republic of Romania. Of interest to collectors are both post-war (socialist) and modern coins of Romania. You will find photos and descriptions of the most interesting specimens in this article.

Romanian currency: general information

The country's currency is the Romanian leu (from the Romanian leu - "lion"). International code: RON (since 2005). The date of birth of the Romanian currency is April 22, 1867. It was then that the lei was put into circulation by a special law. Until the end of the 19th century, French francs were also used in parallel with them in the country. Since 1890, the Romanian leu has been the sole currency of the kingdom.

The national currency of Romania has gone through three monetary reforms (in 1947, 1952 and 2005). In July 2005, a new leu was issued, which was equal toto 10 thousand old.

Change coin in Romania is called baths or baths (from the Romanian bani - money). There are 100 baths in one leu. The Romanian currency is represented by both coins and banknotes. The latter are interesting in that they are made of special plastic, so they do not tear and last much longer than paper banknotes. But this article is not about banknotes at all, but about Romanian coins.

Coins of the Monarchist era

Few people know that this country was a monarchy until the end of World War II. The oldest coin in Romania is 10 bani from 1867 (see photo below). It is not rare due to the rather large circulation. The cost of such a coin today ranges from 500-1000 rubles - depending on the condition.

More valuable is the pre-war coin of 2 lei with the image of a reaper. It was minted in 1914 from silver. The cost of one such coin can reach 5 thousand rubles.

Romanian 100 lei coins from the 1940s show the profile of King Mihai I. He became monarch at a very young age (at 19) and was a puppet of Hitler's ally Ion Antonescu. However, in August 1944, Mihai I ordered the arrest of Antonescu and his generals and declared war on Nazi Germany. The cost of these coins is small, since the circulation of their minting exceeded 20 million pieces.

The 1 leu coin of 1938 is of particular interest among numismatists. Its reverse features a crown from the royal coat of arms, while its obverse features a corncob.

Coins of the socialistperiod

After the Second World War, Romania found itself in the zone of influence of the USSR and embarked on the path of socialist development. Then the design of her coins changed radically. On many of them you can see stories that reflect the rapid development of industry and industry, which was typical for post-war Romania.

So, for example, the reverse of a 1 leu coin of 1951 is decorated with an oil rig. An oil refinery is depicted on a 3 lei coin from the 1960s. The agricultural theme is also not deprived of attention - on 1 leu coins from the mid-1960s, you can see a tractor driver working in the field.

An incredibly interesting coin of that period is unofficially called the Blacksmith. It was minted in the mid-50s of the last century from a copper-nickel alloy. The obverse of the coin depicts a blacksmith working in front of a smoking industrial factory.

Modern coins of Romania

Now about modern coins. Currently, Romanian coins are represented by the following denominations:

1 ban;
5 bani;
10 bani;
50 bani.

The design of all these coins is the same. The obverse is as concise as possible - here is only the face value. The reverse of the coins depicts the state coat of arms of Romania, the inscription Romania and the year of issue. The images on the obverse and reverse are not upside down relative to each other (as was the case on previous Romanian coins).

In recent years, the country's retailthere is a tendency to round all prices up to ten bani. Therefore, coins with a denomination of 1 ban are incredibly difficult to find in circulation today.

The most expensive coins: old and modern

Ancient things have always attracted with their mystery and history. Rare items often become collector's items, which many collectors pursue. Old expensive coins enjoy special attention. They are coveted pieces in almost every private collection, and their value sometimes exceeds millions of dollars

The most expensive coins of the USSR. Rare and commemorative coins of the USSR

Selling just one coin, you can buy an apartment in the capital. The owners of such money often miss the opportunity to receive benefits due to the fact that they do not know the prices for the most expensive coins of the USSR. Commemorative coins of the USSR were issued in huge circulations, so their cost is low, with the exception of items made of precious metals