Romania issues 100-lei numismatic product

The Banca Nationala a Romaniei (National Bank of Romania) has issued a new commemorative nomismatic product on 4 December 2019. A similar product was issued a year ago. This time the 100-lei commemorates the anniversary of The Completion of the Great Union. The notes features are:

• size: 147x82 mm
• prevailing colour: blue
• polymer substrate, offset/intaglio printing

From the website: "Obverse: the following representative graphic elements: to the right, in the foreground, the portrait of Ion I.C. Brătianu, and, below, his name and birth and death years, namely “ION I.C. BRĂTIANU 1864-1927”, while in the central part, an image of the Order of Carol I decoration, that Ion I.C. Brătianu received in 1922. In the background, in the central part, an interior image of the Romanian Athenaeum.

The obverse also shows: the coat of arms of Romania, the name of the central bank “BANCA NAȚIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI” and the NBR logo in a medallion. The face value is printed four times, as follows: in the bottom left corner, horizontally, in figures “100”; down in the central part, horizontally, in letters on two lines “LEI UNA SUTĂ”; in the bottom right corner, vertically, in letters “UNA SUTĂ LEI”; and in the top right corner, vertically, in figures “100”.

Centrally, in the top left corner is the medallion with a superposed image of a stylised depiction of a skylight built into the inner dome of the Romanian Athenaeum.

The signatures of the Governor and Chief Cashier are printed in the central part, above the face value in letters.

The date of putting the banknote into circulation, i.e. “1 decembrie 2019”, is printed vertically, to the right.

In the background of the banknote, stylised geometric motifs are printed in subdued colours.

The reverse of the banknote features a graphic composition: to the left, a vintage image of the former palace of the Assembly of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament, currently the Patriarchate Palace and, in the centre, an image of the reverse of the Order of Carol I decoration.

Down, the text “FALSIFICAREA ACESTOR BILETE SE PEDEPSEŞTE CONFORM LEGILOR” (Counterfeiting is punishable according to the law) is printed horizontally on two lines.

Up, the name of the central bank “BANCA NAŢIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI” is printed horizontally and the NBR logo is shown in the top right corner and bottom left corner.

Centrally, in the top right corner is the medallion with a superposed image of a stylised depiction of a skylight built into the inner dome of the Romanian Athenaeum.

The face value is printed as follows: in the top left corner and down, in the centre, vertically, in figures “100”; in the top left corner, in the serial number area and in the bottom right corner, horizontally, in figures “100”; and in the bottom left corner in letters, “UNA SUTĂ LEI”.

In the background of the banknote, stylised geometric motifs are printed in subdued colours.

The serial number of the banknote is printed in letters and figures, in red and black ink, as follows: to the left, horizontally, in red ink, with fonts of ascending height and to the right, vertically, in black ink with fonts of the same height.

As protection against counterfeiting, the banknote includes the following security features for the public:

1. Security features in the polymer substrate, visible on both the front and the back of the banknote:
   1. a complex transparent window, vertically, featuring:watermark, depicting a fragment of the Order of Carol I decoration and the NBR logo, visible when the note is held up to the light;
      • in the centre, the multi-toned portrait of I.C. Brătianu;
      • in the upper part, a graphical depiction of the reverse of the Order of Carol I decoration, including in the middle an element that is visible only when viewed under a point source of light;
      • around the central part, as well as above and below the transparent window, graphic elements in optically variable ink (blue-green), which change colour depending on the angle from which they are viewed;
   3. a magnetic security thread, displaying in negative the microtext “ROMÂNIA 100”, readable from four different directions;

Moreover, graphic elements of different sizes, in iridescent blue ink, containing the face value “100” in negative are visible only on the reverse.

1. Security features added via printing:
   1. a raised tactile relief:a latent image: on the reverse, the inscription “BNR” on the image of the former palace of the Assembly of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament, currently the Patriarchate Palace, above the entrance doors, visible when the banknote is tilted;
      • on the obverse: the portrait of Ion I.C. Brătianu, the coat of arms of Romania, the depiction of the Order of Carol I decoration, the name of the central bank “BANCA NAŢIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI”, the NBR logo in a medallion, the face value in figures and letters, the embossed feature “100” in the transparent window and the text “LEI UNA SUTĂ” on two lines, in ink shifting from golden to green when the banknote is tilted;
      • on the reverse: the former palace of the Assembly of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament, currently the Patriarchate Palace, the image of the reverse of the Order of Carol I decoration, the name of the central bank “BANCA NAŢIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI”, the NBR logo, the rectangle with the NBR logo, the face value in figures, vertically, in the top left corner and, horizontally, in the bottom right corner and, in letters, horizontally, in the bottom left corner, and the text “FALSIFICAREA ACESTOR BILETE SE PEDEPSEŞTE CONFORM LEGILOR” (Counterfeiting is punishable according to the law);
   3. an obverse-reverse superposed image: a stylised depiction of a skylight built into the inner dome of the Romanian Athenaeum. The superposition is visible when the banknote is held up to the light;
   4. laser micro-perforations: the face value “100” placed vertically, in the central part;
   5. an anti-scan, anti-copy pattern: in the clear areas to the left and to the right, on both the front and the back of the banknote;
   6. a design secured by an offset rainbow colouring: on the obverse, up in the centre, and on the reverse, down in the centre.

Additionally, both the obverse and reverse include security elements added via printing, detectable by special devices, namely:

1. a microtext in offset printing:
   • on the obverse: “BNR”, below and above the left-hand half of the portrait of Ion I.C. Brătianu;
   • on the reverse: “BNR” printed in negative, in the stylised medallion.
2. a microtext in intaglio printing:
   • on the obverse: “BANCA NATIONALA A ROMANIEI”, above the text showing the name of the issuing central bank and “BNR” inside the figures indicating the face value, in the bottom left corner;
   • on the reverse: “BNR” in the left-hand rectangle and in the figures indicating the face value, to the right.
3. UV-fluorescent ink printing on the reversemagnetism: the serial number of the banknote in black ink."
   • a stamp-like image showing the face value of the banknote in figures “100”, to the left, horizontally, that appears in yellow or green under ultraviolet light;
   • the serial number of the banknote to the left, horizontally, in red, that appears in orange under ultraviolet light and to the right, vertically, in black, that appears in yellow or green under ultraviolet light;
4. magnetism: the serial number of the banknote in black ink."

And here it is in all its glory: