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500 Lei Solar Eclipse
| Issuer | National Bank of Romania |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Lei (500 ROL) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The Romanian state coat of arms — a shield depicting an eagle displayed holding a cross in its beak, with a sceptre and sword in its talons, quartered with regional symbols — appears in the upper right field. A stylised radiating sun motif occupies the left and lower field, its rays rendered as bold diverging lines emanating from a central disc, which serves as the letter 'O' in the country name. The legend ROMANIA runs horizontally across the centre in large letters integrated with a horizontal band motif, with the denomination 500 LEI and the date 1999 inscribed below. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ROMANIA 500 LEI 1999 |
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| Additional information |
Romania issued this coin specifically to commemorate the total solar eclipse of August 11, 1999, whose path of totality crossed directly over Romanian territory — one of the last total eclipses visible from central Europe in the twentieth century. The country fell within the zone of maximum duration, making it a focal point for international observers that summer.
Aluminium was chosen deliberately, not for economy alone: the material's reflective properties were considered appropriate for a coin meant to evoke light and its absence.