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2 Lei - Carol I
| Issuer | Romania |
|---|---|
| Year | 1872-1876 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the crowned coat of arms of Romania, featuring the quartered shield with the eagle, bull's head, lion, and two dolphins, enclosed within an ornate heraldic cartouche. The motto legend NIHIL SINE DEO arcs along the upper periphery, while the date of issue appears in the exergue below the shield. The engraver's name STERN is inscribed at the base of the design. |
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| Reverse description | The denomination 2 LEI is prominently displayed in the central field, superimposed upon a laurel and oak wreath tied at the base with a ribbon bow. The country name ROMANIA arcs along the upper periphery in bold relief lettering, framing the composition in a clean, classical arrangement typical of 19th-century European coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Romania's first silver coinage as an autonomous principality under Carol I was struck at the Brussels mint, a deliberate choice that signaled Western European orientation at a moment when the country still nominally owed suzerainty to the Ottoman Empire. The Paris Monetary Convention of 1865 had established the Latin Monetary Union's standards, and Romania aligned its new currency precisely to those specifications — not yet a member, but positioning itself unmistakably within that orbit.
The 1876 date is notably scarce relative to earlier issues in the series, with mintage figures dropping sharply as domestic political pressures mounted ahead of the 1877 declaration of independence.