5 Lei

Romania's switch to polymer banknotes began in 1999, making it one of the earliest European adopters of the substrate — well ahead of most EU member states. This 5 Lei note is part of that polymer series, which was introduced alongside the 2005 redenomination that replaced the old leu at a rate of 10,000 to 1, effectively erasing four zeros that inflation had rendered embarrassing.

The redenomination was cosmetic rather than corrective, but it did coincide with genuine macroeconomic stabilization. Notes from the early years of the series carry the 2005 date; later printings extend into the 2010s with no substantive design changes.