| 100,000 lei | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Country |
|
| Value |
100,000 lei |
| Years |
1946 |
| Measurements and composition | |
| Mass |
25 g |
| Diameter |
37 mm |
| Composition |
silver |
| Appearance | |
| Edge | |
| Obverse |
Michael (Mihai I), year |
| Reverse |
Dove handing a woman an olive branch; coat of arms of Romania, state title, value |
| v · d · e | |
The 100,000 leu coin was issued by the Kingdom of Romania (1881-1947) in 1946 to commemorate the end of World War II the previous year. It was the largest-denominated coin ever circulated in the country.
The coin is composed of .700 fine silver (70% silver, 30% copper), weighs 25 grams, and measures 37 millimeters in diameter. A right-facing portrait of King Michael (Mihai) of Romania is featured on the obverse with the inscription "MIHAI I REGE AL ROMANIEI" (Michael I, King of the Romanians) and the year. This side of the coin was designed by Haralambie Ionescu, whose name is marked below the king's effigy. Pictured on the reverse is a dove carrying an olive branch, a symbol of peace, to a veiled woman. The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Romania is depicted on the bottom right of the coin, to the right of the female figure. The coin's value is inscribed to the left of the woman, and around the coin's edge above her head is the legend "ROMANIA". The name of the sculptor, A. Romanescu, is printed at the bottom center of the coin, adjacent to the woman. Along the coin's edge is the inscription "NIHIL SINE DEO" (Latin for "nothing without God"), the motto of the royal family which ruled Romania from 1866 to 1947. These words are separated from each other by five five-pointed stars (★).
A total of 2,002,000 examples were minted at the State Mint in Bucharest. Specimens may differ from others concerning the written inscription on the edge, with it starting from different points. Additionally, writing can face the obverse or reverse on different coins, and some coins may lack the A. Romanescu on the reverse. Counterfeit versions of the coin were also struck by the Bucharest Mint using lighter metals, and thus weigh 18.36 grams instead of 25.
This coin became obsolete on August 15, 1947 with the passage of a monetary reform that redenominated 20,000 old lei to one new leu. Thus, the 100,000 leu coin would have had a value of 5 new lei from that date until 1952, when yet another new leu currency was introduced.
References[]
| Romanian leu | |
|---|---|
| Banknotes | 10 b • 25 b • 50 b • 1 L • 2 L • 5 L • 10 L • 25 L • 50 L • 100 L • 200 L • 500 L • 1000 L • 2000 L • 5000 L • 10,000 L • 50,000 L • 100,000 L • 500,000 L • 1,000,000 L • 5,000,000 L |
| Coins | 1 b • 2 b • 3 b • 5 b • 10 b • 15 b • 20 b • 25 b • 50 b • 1 L • 2 L • 3 L 5 L • 10 L • 20 L • 50 L • 100 L • 200 L • 250 L • 500 L • 1000 L • 2000 L • 5,000 L • 10,000 L • 25,000 L • 100,000 L |
| Miscellaneous | National Bank of Romania • Monetăria Statului • Romania and the euro |