Catalog
5 Lei Red Army Command
| Issuer | Comandamentul Armatei Roșii (Red Army Command) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Lei |
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| Obverse description | Dark blue intaglio print on plain paper. The title inscription COMANDAMENTUL ARMATEI ROSII arches across the top within a fine guilloche border. At centre, a large ornate cartouche formed by dense scrollwork and foliate arabesques encloses the denomination lettering LEI in bold serif characters, flanked on both sides by the numeral 5 in red. Serial number prefix and digits appear in red at lower left and lower right, with the mandatory acceptance clause and the date 1944 in a small panel at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 5 5 5 LEI FALSIFICATORII ACESTOR BILETE VOR FI PEDEPSITI CONFORM LEGILOR IN VIGOARE PE TIMP DE RAZBOIU |
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| Comments |
Issued under Soviet military authority during the August 1944 occupation of Romania, these notes were printed by Goznak in Moscow and introduced as occupation currency — technically denominated in Lei but backed by nothing within the Romanian monetary system. The Romanian National Bank had no control over their issuance, and the volume printed was never formally disclosed, a deliberate policy that effectively allowed the Red Army to requisition goods and services at Soviet expense to the Romanian economy.
The series is sometimes called "military lei" in collector literature. Romanian authorities repeatedly objected to their circulation; they were finally withdrawn in 1947 during the broader currency reform that preceded the proclamation of the Romanian People's Republic.