As of February 28, 2018, the National Bank of Moldova puts into circulation a new series of metal coins with a face value of 1, 2, 5 and 10 lei, which will be circulating in parallel with the existing banknotes of the same face value until the stores are used up. The announcement was made in a ceremony held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the putting of the Moldovan leu into circulation, IPN reports.
The coins of 1 and 2 lei are made from nickel-plated steel and have a silver tint. Those of 5 and 10 lei are made from steel, coated with nickel and copper, which gives them a bimetallic appearance: a silvery center surrounded by a golden-color ring for the 5-lei coin and respectively, a golden-color center surrounded by a silvery ring for the 10-lei coin. Each coin has a different weight, diameter and thickness. The edge of the 10-lei coin is etched with the repeating word MOLDOVA, preceded and followed by a star.
On the reverse side, at the top, the coins bear a monogram of the capital letters “R” and “M” – the acronym of the country’s name - Republic of Moldova. The monogram is engraved using a holographic technique. The letters “R” and “M” become visible alternately when the coin is rotating to left or right. The micro-etchings with the “NBM” legend are applied on the digits’ surface.
By putting together the four coins, the stylized image of the coat of arms of the Moldavian Principality, inserted in a quatrefoil, was obtained on the obverse side. It combines medieval heraldic elements - the aurochs’ head, seen frontally – with the crescent - on the 1-leu coin; the sun – on the 2-lei coin; the star, the princely crown above the aurochs’ horns and the heraldic rose – on the 5-lei coin, and the princely dynastic shield – on the 10-lei coin.
National Bank governor Sergiu Cioclea said the putting of the metal coins into circulation is the result of the reforms launched by the Bank after the financial-banking crisis of 2015. The metal coins are ten times more resistant than the paper bills. The gradual replacement of the banknotes with coins will help to save public funds in time.
Attending the event, Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu said that when the initiative was launched, a number of questions appeared as to the impact of this process on society and the national economy. After consulting experts and business community representatives and analyzing international practices, it was established that the issuing of metal coins was a necessity for Moldova.
In the ceremony, there were awarded the winners of the contest to work out the design of the metal coins with a face value of 1 and 2 lei. The way in which the design of the 5-lei and 10-lei coins was chosen wasn’t announced.
