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1 leu

Note from 1994

General information
Country

Flag of Moldova Moldova

Value

1.00 lei

Years

1992–present

Specifications
Material

paper

Orientation

horizontal

Width

114 mm

Height

58 mm

Security features

watermark, security thread, translucent feature

Appearance
Color

yellow, brown

Obverse

Stephen the Great, coat of arms of Moldova

Reverse
v · d · e

The 1 leu banknote is a note that has been issued in two types by the Republic of Moldova since 1993. Of the types, the first was printed in 1992 but was not placed into circulation until November 1993. It was subsequently replaced by the second type in 1994, which would continue to be produced in the years 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2010. Both notes currently hold the status of legal tender, having values equivalent to 1.00 lei. They are still commonly used in the territory of Moldova (excluding Transnistria), where they circulate as the lowest denominated banknotes.

Banknotes[]

1992 note[]

MoldovaP5-1Leu-1992-donatedoy f

Obverse

MoldovaP5-1Leu-1992-donatedoy b

Reverse

The first banknotes of the Moldovan leu were printed in 1992 and then issued by the National Bank of Moldova on November 29, 1993, the date when the leu officially replaced the previous short-lived cupon currency. The 1 leu note of this first series is horizontally-aligned, having a width of 114 millimeters and a height of 58. Its printings are predominantly brown in color, while the background is a darker yellow.

Featured at the left side of the note is a facing, crowned image of Prince Stephen III "the Great" (1433–1504), the ruler of the Principality of Moldavia – a precursor to modern-day Moldova – from 1457 to 1504. Curved and printed vertically to the left of the depiction is the Romanian caption "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" (English: "Stephen the Great") in brown. The signature of Leonid Tălmaci (1954–), the Governor of the National Bank of Moldova from its establishment in 1991 to 2009, is present to the right of Stephen's likeness, captioned below by the Romanian "GUVERNATOR" (English: "Governor"). Above, to the right of Stephen III's crown, is a red four-digit number preceded by a letter "A" of the same color. Featured to the right of the area between the signature and the four-digit number is the coat of arms of Moldova – which consists of an eagle with a shield on its breast bearing the aurochs (†Bos taurus primigenius) head, eight-pointed star representing the sun, five-petaled flower, and crescent moon of Moldavia. In the dexter talon of the eagle is an olive branch, in the sinister is a scepter, and in its mouth is an Orthodox cross. The depiction of the arms is enclosed within a circular border that is in turn surrounded by an elaborate geometric pattern. The value "UN LEU" is printed below it in a large font. Between the word "LEU" and the arms is the six-digit serial number in red. All of the aforementioned elements are surrounded by a rectangular border at the periphery of the note, the left, bottom, and right borders decorated using a floral arabesque-like pattern. The numeral "1" is printed at the upper left and bottom right corners of the note, the former instance in a partially curved boundary and the latter in a rectangular frame bearing a floral decoration in the background. Centered in the top border is the Romanian name of the National Bank of Moldova, "BANCA NAŢIONALĂ A MOLDOVEI", and written in the bottom border in a rectangular boundary is the counterfeiting notice "FALSIFICAREA ACESTOR BILETE SE PEDEPSEŞTE CONFORM LEGILOR", which translates as "counterfeiting of this note is punishable by law". The year "1992" is printed vertically in the left border inside of an elliptical frame.

Featured on the reverse is an image of the Soroca Fortress, a historic fort built in 1499 in Soroca. The surrounding area is also visible, the Dniester River shown in front of the fortress and buildings, trees, and the skyline displayed behind the historic building. Printed in a decorative frame over a portion of the depiction of the Soroca Fortress and its surroundings is the arms of the House of Bogdan, the ruling family of Moldavia to which Stephen III belonged. Such a heraldic image features an escutcheon containing an Orthodox cross, four horizontal bars, and three flowers and a scepter underneath a sun. This escutcheon is surmounted by a helm and an aurochs. Printed vertically to the left of the image of the Soroca Fortress in a medieval-style font is "PE-UN PICIOR DE PLAI, PE-O GURĂ DE RAI..." (English: "Near a low foothill, at Heaven's doorsill"), the first two lines of the Miorița, a famous pastoral ballad by Wallachian poet Vasile Alecsandri (1821–1890). The numeral "1" is printed to the left of this text over an arabesque pattern. The Romanian state title of Moldova, "REPUBLICA MOLDOVA" (English: "Republic of Moldova"), is printed at the very top of the note in a brown rectangular border, whereas the value "UN LEU" is stamped at the bottom of the note in an elliptical boundary surrounded by arabesque designs. The entire left border of the reverse bears floral designs.

Current note (1994–present)[]

1 leu Moldova 2010 obverse

2010 obverse

1 leu Moldova 2010 reverse

2010 reverse

The current 1 leu banknote of Moldova was first issued in 1994 by the National Bank of Moldova, and was subsequently printed again in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2010. Like the earlier note, the one that has been issued since 1994 is horizontally-aligned, measuring 114 millimeters in width and 58 millimeters in height. It is mostly a light yellow in color, even though most of the major elements are printed in a brown ink.

Featured at the left side of the obverse is an image of Stephen III, donning his crown and regal attire and facing ¾ right. Curved and printed vertically to the left is the caption "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" in brown ink and in a medieval-style font. The numeral "1" is written near the beginning and end of this caption, respectively at the lower left and upper left corners of the note. Below the likeness of Stephen III is the six-digit serial number in black ink. The value "1 UN LEU" is displayed in the center of the obverse, the numeral and each of the words printed on their own lines and the numeral being much larger than the following words. This indication of the value is superimposed over a light yellow rosette design. Above it, the state title "REPUBLICA MOLDOVA" is printed in brown on two lines, the second word slightly arched around the rosette. At the bottom center of the obverse the counterfeiting notice "FALSIFICAREA ACESTOR BILETE SE PEDEPSEŞTE CONFORM LEGILOR" is written in brown on two lines, separated between the words "BILETE" and "SE". The coat of arms of Moldova is present inside a decorative circular border to the right of the state title. Featured to the right of the counterfeiting notice, inside a circular border, is a stylized letter "V" for victorie (Romanian for "victory") with a depiction of the sun above. Printed around the edges inside of this border is the text "PE-UN PICIOR DE PLAI, PE-O GURĂ DE RAI..." from the Miorița, commencing at the left side and wrapping completely around the circle. Between the arms and the victory symbol is the signature of the Governor of the National Bank of Moldova at the time of the note's issuance, printed vertically and captioned above by the vertical "GUVERNATOR," in brown ink. Notes produced from 1994 to 2006 bear the signature of Leonid Tălmaci, while those of 2010 include that of Tălmaci's successor, Dorin Drăguțanu (1974–). The date of issuance is printed in brown ink to the right of the coat of arms of Moldova, which in turn is flanked in the same direction by the "BNM" logo of the National Bank of Moldova. A four-digit number prefixed by "A." is written in black at the bottom of the note, to the right of the victory symbol, and underneath it the numeral "1" is present above a floral pattern in brown.

Displayed in the center of the reverse is a bordered image of the Căpriana Monastery, a famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Căpriana, Moldova, that was built in 1429. Captioned inside a white square superimposing small portions of the image is the Romanian "MĂNĂSTIREA CĂPRIANA", both words printed on separate lines. Written in brown ink above the image above the image is the Romanian title of the National Bank of Moldova, "BANCA NAŢIONALĂ A MOLDOVEI", while the value "UN LEU" is included below the image of the Căpriana Monastery, at the bottom of the reverse. Surrounding all of the aforementioned elements are two decorative columns, mostly brown in color, albeit with some yellow features. Superimposed near the top of the left column is the arms of the House of Bogdan, surrounded by a decorative border, and printed above the bottom of the same column is a circular boundary. Inside this boundary, at the left, is Trajan's Column, a column in Rome that commemorates the victory of Roman Emperor Trajan (53–117) in the Dacian Wars. To the right of Trajan's Column is the Endless Column, a monument in Târgu Jiu, Romania, paying tribute to those who died in World War I. Between both columns is a depiction of the sun, identical in appearance to that featured in the victory symbol on the obverse of the note. The "BNM" logo of the National Bank of Moldova is printed in brown at the upper left corner of the note, while the numeral "1" in a brown floral pattern is present at the remaining three corners. The numeral is printed once more in a brown and yellow rosette to the right of the image of the Căpriana Monastery.

A number of security features were added to the most recent Moldovan 1 leu banknotes to protect against counterfeiting. A watermark of Stephen III is used, and becomes visible at the right side of the obverse or the left side of the reverse when held against the light. In addition, there is a metallic security thread present between the image of Stephen III and the central rosette on the obverse, although some of the 2010 notes lack this feature. Like the watermark, it is visible only when viewed against light. Also, the sun in the arms of Moldova on the obverse and the crescent in the Bogdan familial arms are visible in the same position in the light, as are the suns depicted on the obverse and reverse. When viewed correctly, the "V" in the victory symbol of the obverse and the two columns on the reverse also form an "M" for "Moldova".

References[]

 v · d · e
Coat of arms of Moldova Moldovan leu
Banknotes 1 L5 L10 L20 L50 L100 L200 L500 L1000 L
Coins 1 b5 b10 b25 b50 b1 L2 L5 L10 L20 L50 L100 L200 L1,000 L
Miscellaneous National Bank of MoldovaTransnistrian ruble
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