Moldovan 5 ban coin

5 bani
Coin from 1993
General information
Country	Moldova
Value	0.05 lei
Years	1993–present
Measurements and composition
Mass	0.78 g
Diameter	16 mm
Thickness	1.7 mm
Composition	aluminum
Appearance
Shape	round
Alignment	coin
Edge	smooth
Obverse	coat of arms of Moldova, oak branch, state title
Reverse	Value, year
v · d · e

The 5 ban coin is a circulation piece that has been issued by the Republic of Moldova from 1993 to the present. It is produced at the Monetăria Statului (State Mint) of Romania and distributed by the National Bank of Moldova. The coin has a legal tender face value equivalent to 0.05 lei, and has circulated in its country as the smallest-denominated coin in production since the minting of the 1 ban piece ceased in 2006.

The coin is composed of pure aluminum and has a mass of 0.78 grams, a diameter of 16 millimeters, and a thickness of 1.7 millimeters. It has coin alignment and a plain edge, and like most coins, is round in shape. Featured in the center of the obverse, designed by Romanian artist Constantin Dumitrescu, is the coat of arms of Moldova – which consists of an eagle with a shield on its breast containing the head of an aurochs (†Bos taurus primigenius), an eight-pointed star representing the sun, a five-petaled flower, and the crescent moon of Moldavia. In the eagle's dexter talon is an olive branch, in its sinister is a scepter, and in its beak is an Orthodox cross. A single oak branch is engraved below the depiction of the arms, near the coin's rim. Inscribed along the remainder of the coin's boundary is the Romanian state title of the Republic of Moldova – "REPUBLICA MOLDOVA" – with the first word arched around the left rim and the second curved along the right. The reverse, also designed by Constantin Dumitrescu, displays the value "5 BANI" at the top center, with the number and word printed on separate lines and the former written much larger than the latter. The date is engraved under the word "BANI" in a smaller font, and underneath that, near the bottom of the piece, is an "M" for "Moldova" superimposing a square diamond. Featured along the rims of the piece are oak branches, which extend from the "M" at the bottom of the coin to the left and right sides of the reverse. On pieces produced from 1993 to 2003, the "C.D." privy mark of the artist is also inscribed diagonally in small print at the lower right periphery. The rims on the obverse and reverse are raised.

The total mintage of the 5 ban coin is currently unknown. However, examples of all dates and grades are relatively common, and generally demand small prices from collectors.

Years
1993 - with privy mark 1995 - with privy mark 1996 - with privy mark 1999 - with privy mark 2000 - with privy mark 2001 - with privy mark 2002 - with privy mark 2003 - with privy mark 2004 - without privy mark 2005 - without privy mark 2006 - without privy mark 2008 - without privy mark 2010 - without privy mark 2012 - without privy mark 2013 - without privy mark

See also

• Romanian 5 ban coin

References

• 5 Bani – Moldova 1993–2013 — Numista
• 5 bani – National Bank of Moldova