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2 Lei - Ferdinand I Essai
| Issuer | National Bank of Romania |
|---|---|
| Year | 1924 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain field dominated by a large bold numeral '2' at center, with the legend BUN PENTRU arcing across the upper portion and LEI inscribed below the numeral. The word ESSAI appears in small incuse letters beneath LEI, serving as the trial-piece designation. Two symmetrical sprigs of wheat flank the lower field, tied at the base with a decorative ribbon, framed within a beaded border. |
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| Mint | Société Française de Monnayage Poissy, France (1922-1927) |
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| Additional information |
Romania's 1924 coinage reform followed the destruction of the country's monetary system during World War I, when German occupation forces had systematically stripped metal coinage from circulation. The essai designation here indicates a pattern strike submitted for approval rather than a production piece — the National Bank was evaluating alloy compositions and die workmanship before committing to full mintage, a process that resulted in several competing trial pieces for this denomination.
French mints handled much of Romania's interwar coinage production, and this piece almost certainly originates from Poissy or Paris given the documented procurement arrangements of the period.