50 Bani

Moldova's first coin series, issued in 1993, accompanied the leu's introduction as the country replaced the cupon — a transitional currency that had itself only replaced Soviet rubles two years prior. The aluminium composition was a practical necessity: the newly independent state had neither the hard currency reserves nor the industrial infrastructure to source cupro-nickel in meaningful quantities. Aluminium was cheap, available, and fast.

The KM#4 series has seen no significant die varieties documented in major references.