Aurel Vlaicu was a Romanian aviation pioneer who built and flew his own aircraft — the Vlaicu I and Vlaicu II — in 1910 and 1911, making him one of the earliest constructors of a functional monoplane in Europe. He died in 1913 attempting to cross the Carpathians by air, a flight intended partly as a nationalistic gesture toward Transylvania, then still under Austro-Hungarian control. The coin series bearing his image was introduced as Romania phased out its earlier nickel-clad steel issues in favor of this nickel brass alloy.
Aurel Vlaicu was a Romanian aviation pioneer who built and flew his own aircraft — the Vlaicu I and Vlaicu II — in 1910 and 1911, making him one of the earliest constructors of a functional monoplane in Europe. He died in 1913 attempting to cross the Carpathians by air, a flight intended partly as a nationalistic gesture toward Transylvania, then still under Austro-Hungarian control. The coin series bearing his image was introduced as Romania phased out its earlier nickel-clad steel issues in favor of this nickel brass alloy.