10 Lei The Pietroasa Hoard

The Pietroasa hoard — discovered in 1837 near Buzău by two quarry workers who promptly broke several pieces apart to divide the gold — is among the most significant Migration Period treasure finds in European archaeology. The cache, attributed to the Visigoths and dating to the 4th or early 5th century, originally comprised around 22 objects; only 12 survived intact after looting, illegal sales, and a theft from Bucharest's national museum in 1875 from which some pieces were recovered melted or damaged beyond recognition.

Romania has returned to the hoard repeatedly as commemorative subject matter. This 2022 bullion-adjacent issue is struck in .999 gold at a notably small module — closer to a miniature than a circulation-weight piece.