Catalog
25 Bani BGR - German Occupation
| Issuer | Banca Generala Romana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
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| Currency | First leu (1867-1947) |
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| Obverse description | Olive-brown note with an ornate guilloche border framing the face. At right, an oval cameo vignette encloses a classical portrait of Mercury in profile facing left. The denomination numeral 25 appears in the lower right corner within a fine lathe-work panel, while two manuscript signatures appear below the issuing authority text at centre-left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | BANCA GENERALA ROMÂNA DOUE DECI CINCI BANI Falsificatorii acestor bilete si cari vor fi intrebuintat bilete false, sau le vor fi introdus in tara, se vor pedepsi. 25 25 (Translation: ROMANIAN GENERAL BANK TWENTY FIVE BANI The forgers of these notes and those who will use forged notes, or will have introduced them into the country, will be punished. 25 25) |
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| Comments |
Banca Generala Română was not a Romanian institution in any meaningful sense — it was a German-controlled bank established in Bucharest after the Central Powers occupied roughly two-thirds of Romania in late 1916, including the capital. The occupation administration needed small-denomination currency to function, and this note was among the first instruments that bank produced to fill the void left by the retreating Romanian government, which had relocated to Iași along with the National Bank's reserves.
The print run of over twelve million for a single low-denomination note reflects the scale of the replacement currency operation — not casual issue. Forgeries of the occupation series were reported even during the war itself.