Romanian leu

The leu (Romanian: leu) is the official currency unit of Romania, which has been in use since the founding of the National Bank of Romania in 1880. One leu it is divided into 100 bani (singular ban). The ISO 4217 code for the Romanian leu is RON.

In Spanish the plural of leu is leus, and the Romanian form lei should be avoided.

History

In the 17th century, in the Romanian states, the Dutch thaler (leeuwendaalder) was used as currency, a coin in which a lion appeared, for which reason the word lei (plural of lion in Romanian) to denominate money, a denomination that remained after the use of the thaler ceased.

Since July 1, 2005, the new leu (RON) came into circulation, replacing the old leu (ROL), equaling 1 new leu to 10,000 "old" lei. The "new" lei coexisted until December 31, 2006 with the banknotes and coins of the "old" (in brackets its equivalence in the new leu):

Coins

The currently circulating coins of the Romanian leu are:

New Romanian leu coins (2005 series)
Image	Value	Technical parameters				Description			Date of Accumation
		Diameter	Grosor	Weight	Membership	Borde	Reverse	Reversal
	1 b	16.75 mm	1.6 mm	2.4	Latonated steel	Liso	Arms Shield, Year of Acution	Value	1 July 2005
	5 b	18.25 mm	1.6 mm	2.8 g	Steel pressed in copper	Striated	Arms Shield, Year of Acution	Value	1 July 2005
	10 b	20.50 mm	1.8 mm	4.0 g	Nickel steel	Striated and smooth	Arms Shield, Year of Acution	Value	1 July 2005
	50 b	23.75 mm	1.9 mm	6.1 g	80% copper 15% zinc 5% nickel	"ROMANIA * ROMANIA *	Arms Shield, Year of Acution	Value	1 July 2005

Tickets

Description of "new" law of legal circulation:

Current series

Value	Image		Dimensions (millimeters)	Main Color	Description		First Series	Latest Series
	Reverse	Reversal			Reverse	Reversal
1 Leu			120 × 62	Green	The writer and historian Nicolae Iorga and flowers of genciana	Cathedral of the Monastery of Curtea de Arges an eagle with a cross in the peak and a symbol with an NR and an oval in the center	Series 2005
5 lei			127 × 67	Violeta	To the left coat of arms of the country. In the center a carnation, musical notes and a violin. To the right portrait of composer George Enescu (1881-1955)	On the left the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. Upstairs fragment of the score of the Opera King of Enescu. Piano to the center on the right.
10 lei			133 × 72	Rose and Orange	The painter Nicolae Grigorescu, a malvarrosa, a brush and a paint palette	House of the region of Oltenia and painting "Rodica" (a country girl with basket)	Series 2005	Series 2008
20 lei			136 x 77	Green olive	The heroine Ecaterina Teodoroiu	The mausoleum of Marasesti and a representation of the victory	Series 2021
50 lei			140 × 77	Yellow	The engineer and pilot Aurel Vlaicu, a flower of edelweiss and a propeller	Eagle head and aircraft design "Vlaicu II", background design of a radial motor	Series 2005
100 lei			147 × 82	Blue	The playwright Ion Luca Caragiale, a violet and a comedy mask	Teatro Nacional in Bucharest, statue of the playwright and a mask of tragedy
200 lei			150 × 82	Yellow	The Romanian poet, playwright and philosopher Lucian Blaga, a poem by Blaga in a book	A water mill and the thinker of Hamangia culture.	Series 2006
500 lei			153 × 82	Green	The poet Mihai Eminescu, a flower of til, pen and tintero and a clock of sand	The University Library of Iaşi, background first page of the newspaper "Timpul" of the period of the poet	Series 2005