20 Lei 1880 Provisional Issue

Romania's first central bank — established only in 1880 — needed circulating notes quickly. Rather than commission an entirely new series, the BNR issued this note as a provisional measure using a plate design credited to Bramtot and Duval, with engraving by Paul Dujardin, all associated with French printing traditions of the period. The arrangement was typical of newly founded issuing institutions leaning on established Western European printing expertise while domestic infrastructure was still being organized.

The 1945 print date is not a misprint — this design was reissued during the turbulent final months of World War II, decades after its original introduction, as Romania faced acute currency shortages following the Soviet-backed political transition and the economic disruptions of the German occupation.