1 Leu Maria Tănase

Issued to commemorate Maria Tănase, the Romanian vocalist whose recordings were suppressed under Ceaușescu's regime for periods due to her association with pre-communist cultural identity. The National Bank's collector series has long used the 1 Leu denomination as a vehicle for cultural commemoratives, a format established in the early 2000s.

Tombac — a copper-zinc alloy — was chosen here over silver to keep the issue accessible, though the copper plating gives circulated examples a tendency toward uneven patination at the high points.