Catalog
5 lei
| Issuer | Banca Națională a României |
|---|---|
| Year | 2005 |
| Type | Fantasy banknote |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANCA NATIONALA A ROMANIEI FOLOSITI NUMAI IN SCOPURI EDUCATIONALE SI LA JOC PENTRU ÎNVĂȚARE ȘI JOC ALEXANDER 5 LEI CINCI CINCI LEI GUVERNATOR CASIER CENTRAL 1 iulie 2005 |
| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted, presenting a plain white paper surface with no design elements, inscriptions, or security features. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Romania's 5 lei denomination has an unusual origin in this series: the 2005 issue was part of the country's redenomination, where 10,000 old lei became 1 new leu. The switch, effective 1 July 2005, was driven by administrative fatigue — Romanians had been routinely handling transactions in the hundreds of millions of old lei, a direct consequence of hyperinflation in the 1990s that peaked around 300% annually in 1997.
Most denominations in the new leu series were issued in polymer by De La Rue, but this 5 lei note was printed on paper rather than the plastic substrate used for the lower values — a deliberate tiered approach to substrate costs that was gradually phased out as polymer production scaled up.