10 Lei Astra Association

The Astra Association — full name Asociațiunea Transilvană pentru Literatura Română și Cultura Poporului Român — was founded in Sibiu in 1861 under Habsburg rule, when Romanian cultural institutions in Transylvania operated under constant administrative pressure from Vienna and later Budapest. It functioned as a surrogate for institutions Romanians were otherwise denied: publishing houses, libraries, village reading rooms. The 2011 issue marks the association's 150th anniversary.

Romania's commemorative 10 Lei silver program has used the 31.1g one-troy-ounce format consistently since the early 2000s, with mintages typically kept below 500 pieces.