Catalog
500 lei
| Issuer | Romania |
|---|---|
| Year | 2005 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Lei |
| 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 | Fantasy educational reproduction of the Romanian 500 Lei note dated 1 iulie 2005, printed on one side only. The right half bears an intaglio-style vignette of poet Mihai Eminescu (1850–1889) in three-quarter portrait against a fine guilloche underprint in blue and grey tones, with the denomination '500' at upper right and the vertical inscription 'CINCI SUTE LEI' along the right margin. To the left, a central vignette renders a linden branch with blossoms alongside an inkwell and quill, surmounted by a blue-framed flask emblem and the BNR monogram seal; the issuer legend 'BANCA NAȚIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI' runs across the top. A bold red overprint 'PENTRU ÎNVĂȚARE SI JOC' is applied diagonally across the centre, and a red circular 'ALEXANDER A' stamp appears at upper left, with the disclaimer 'FOLOSITI NUMAI IN SCOPURI EDUCATIONALE SI LA JOC' printed in the lower left field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted, presenting a plain white paper surface with no design, lettering, or security elements. |
| 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 post-communist currency reform culminated in the July 2005 redenomination, when the leu was rebased at 10,000 old lei to 1 new leu. This 500 lei note entered circulation as part of that new series — making it the highest denomination issued at redenomination, equivalent to five million of the old lei that Romanians had carried in thick wads through the 1990s inflation years.
The paper issue is notable precisely because the broader series had already committed to polymer for lower denominations, printed by Note Printing Australia. The 500 lei retained paper substrate, a deliberate choice for the high-denomination note, though the series later transitioned fully toward polymer.