Romania marks a decade of membership of the EU with commemorative coin in four metal variants

The Romanian national bank is marking a decade since the country joined the European Union with the launch of a new coin available in a range of metals. Romania has long sought membership to the great European club and has pushed hard since the fall of communism to join. In 2003 at the Thessaloniki Summit, the date of accession was set at 1 January 2007. Romania was indeed made a member of the European Union on that date, along with Bulgaria and has a seat on the European Commission.

The coin features a common reverse design across the four variants. A simple, but attractive depiction of Europe with the member states highlighted in a patterned finish is clear and on point, if unadventurous.  The obverse also carries a common background design, this time depicting some architecture in the Brâncovenesc style. Also known as Wallachian or Romanian Renaissance, this is a style that was born in the late 17th/early 18th centuries during the administration of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu.

A builder of fine palaces and churches, Brâncoveanu formed his designs from a merging of several styles from the region, Wallachia being an Ottoman vassal state at the time. The pretty Hurezi Monastery is considered the finest surviving example and was built as his tomb, but he was, along with his family, beheaded by Sultan Ahmed the Third after refusing to renounce Christianity. Their bodies were thrown into the Bosporus.

Three of the coins, the 100 Lei gold, the 10 Lei silver and the 1 Lei copper-plated tombac (tombac is a brass alloy sometimes used for medals) are sold as a set with a leaflet. Surprisingly, there’s no box, although the coins are encapsulated – a poor show given the contents. Mintage is limited to 150 sets. The 50 Bani base metal version has a mintage of 5,000 in proof form, and a million in uncirculated. The name ‘ROMANIA’ is inscribed on the edge of this version. The set sells for 2,100 Lei, with the proof base-metal variant going for 10 Lei. Available now.

SPECIFICATION

NAME 2017 10th Anniversary of Romania entering the EU
DENOMINATION 100 Lei 10 Lei 1 Lei 50 Bani
COMPOSITION 0.900 gold 0.999 silver Cu-plated Tombac Base metal
WEIGHT 6.452 grams 31.103 grams 23.5 grams 6.1 grams
DIAMETER 21.00 mm 37.00 mm 37.00 mm 21.00 mm
FINISH Proof Proof Proof Proof
MODIFICATIONS None None None None
MINTAGE 150 three-coin sets 5,000
BOX / COA No / Yes No / No

MINTS DESCRIPTION

Pursuant to the provisions of Law No. 312/2004 on the Statute of the National Bank of Romania, as of 19 June 2017, the National Bank of Romania will put into circulation a set of three coins (gold, silver and copper-plated tombac) and a brass collector coin for numismatic purposes, along with a brass commemorative circulation coin, dedicated to the anniversary of 10 years since Romania’s accession to the European Union.

REVERSE: Member States of the European Union distinctively emphasized and the circular inscription “10 ANI DE LA ADERAREA LA UNIUNEA EUROPEANĂ”.

OBVERSE: A composition containing details of the Brâncovenesc architectural style, the inscription “ROMANIA” in an arc, the face value, the coat of arms of Romania and the year of issue “2017”.

BASE METAL OBVERSE: As above plus Letter “N” inscribed on the base of the first column, as a distinctive sign of the collector coin.

PACKAGING: The gold, silver, copper-plated tombac coins and the brass collector coin are individually housed in transparent plastic capsules. The sets of three coins are accompanied by leaflets featuring a presentation of the numismatic issue in Romanian, English and French. Each leaflet comes with a certificate of authenticity bearing the signatures of the Governor and the Chief Cashier of the National Bank of Romania.