Coins of the Romanian leu

The production of coins ceased in 1914, recommencing in 1921 with aluminium 25 and 50 bani pieces.

First Leu Coins – 1921 Series[1]
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	25 bani	19 mm	0.896 g	Aluminium	Smooth	Value, Royal Crown	Eagle, state title, year of minting	1921
	50 bani	21 mm	1.203 g
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Cupro-nickel 1 and 2 lei coins were introduced in 1924, followed by nickel brass 10, 20 and 50 lei in 1930.

First Leu Coins – 1924 Series[1]
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	1 leu	21 mm	3.5 g	Copper 75%, Nickel 25%	Milled	"BUN PENTRU 'VALUE'" ("Good for 'value'"), wheat wreath	State title, Middle coat of arms, ***, year of minting, ***	1924	1 June 1940	31 March 1941 (unofficial, BNR accepted the change until mid-1942)
	2 lei	25 mm	7 g
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

First Leu Coins – 1930 Series[1]
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	10 lei	23 mm	5 g	Copper 79%, Zinc 20%, Nickel 1%	Milled	Value, the eagle from the coat of arms wearing on the shield the Royal Cypher of King Carol II, effigy of the King, year of minting	"CAROL II REGELE ROMANILOR" ("Carol II King of Romania"), year of minting	1930
	20 lei	27 mm	7.5 g
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

In 1932, silver 100 lei coins were issued. However, inflation meant that, in 1935, smaller silver 250 lei coins were introduced with nickel 100 lei coins being issued in 1936, followed by nickel 50 lei in 1937.

First Leu Coins – 1936 Series[1]
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	50 lei	24 mm	5.83 g	Nickel 97.5%	Milled	Value, the small shield from the coat of arms timbered by the Steel Crown, laurel and oak leaves, year of minting	"CAROL II REGELE ROMANILOR" ("Carol II King of Romania"), portrait of the King wearing a parade military helmet	September 1937	12 October 1941	31 December 1941
	100 lei	27 mm	8.2 g				"CAROL II REGELE ROMANILOR" ("Carol II King of Romania"), effigy of the King	December 1936	12 October 1941	31 December 1941
	250 lei	30 mm	12 g	Silver 83,5%, Copper 16,5%	+ MUNCA + CREDINTA + REGE + NATIUNE		"CAROL II REGELE ROMANILOR" ("Carol II King of Romania"), effigy of the King	1939	31 July 1941	31 August 1941
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

First Leu Coins – 1941-1942 Series[1]
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	1 leu	18 mm	2.75 g	nickel-brass	smooth	maize, denomination	royal crown, ROMANIA, year of minting	1 June 1940 (all the coins marked as 1938, 1939 and 1940 were released in 1940)
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

After the creation of the People's Republic, new coins were issued between 1948 and 1952, in denominations of 1, 2, 5 and 20 lei.

Second Leu Coins – 1947 Series
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	1 leu	16 mm	1.83 g	nickel-brass		value, year of minting	oil well, rising sun	1948	30 January 1952	1 February 1952
			0.61 g	aluminium
	2 lei	18 mm	2.44 g	nickel-brass			corn cob
			0.84 g	aluminium
	5 lei	23 mm	3.5 g	bronze		olive wreath, value, year of minting	coat of arms, "REPUBLICA POPULARA ROMANA"
	20 lei	26 mm	1.5 g	aluminium		Blacksmith at work using a hammer and an anvil, factory in the background, value	coat of arms, "REPUBLICA POPULARA ROMANA", year of minting
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

In 1952, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 25 bani, with the 1, 3 and 5 struck in aluminium bronze and the others in cupro-nickel. In 1955, cupro-nickel 50 bani were added.

Third Leu Coins – 1952 Series
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	1 ban	16mm	1.0g	aluminium bronze	Smooth	Value, year of minting	Coat of arms	28 January 1952	1 January 1997	16 January 1997
	3 bani	18mm	2.0g
	5 bani	20mm	2.4g
	10 bani	17mm	1.8g	cupro-nickel		olive wreath, year of minting, value	Coat of arms, Republica Populară Română (Romanian People's Republic) or Republica Populară Romînă
	25 bani	22mm	3.6g
	50 bani	25mm	4.55g			Blacksmith at work using a hammer and an anvil, factory in the background, value	Coat of arms, Republica Populară Română (Romanian People's Republic), year of minting	1955
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

In 1960, a new coinage was introduced, consisting of 15 and 25 bani, with 5 bani, 1 and 3 lei coins added in 1963. All were struck in nickel-clad steel. In 1975, aluminium replaced steel in the 5 and 15 bani, with the same change happening for the 25 bani in 1982. Aluminium 5 lei were introduced in 1978.

Third Leu Coins – 1960 Series
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	5 bani			Nickel-plated steel	Smooth	Value, year of minting	Coat of arms, Republica Populară Română (Romanian People's Republic), year of first minting	1960	1 January 1997	16 January 1997
	15 bani					Value, olive leaves
	25 bani					Value, agricultural scene, wheat
	1 leu					Value, agricultural landscape; industrial elements in the background		1963
	3 lei					Value, industrial landscape
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Following the end of the communist regime, a new coinage was introduced between 1990 and 1992, consisting of 1 leu in bronze clad steel, 5 and 10 lei in nickel-plated steel, 20 and 50 lei in brass clad steel and nickel-plated steel 100 lei.

Third Leu Coins – 1990 Series
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	first minting	withdrawal	lapse
	1 leu	19 mm	2.50 g	Copper-plated steel	Smooth	Value, oak leaves, wheat	Insignia of the National Bank, state title, year of minting, oak leaves	1992	1 July 2005	Indefinite
						Value, state title, wheat	Coat of arms, year of minting	1993	1 January 2007	Indefinite
	5 lei	21 mm	3.35 g	Nickel-plated steel	Smooth	State Title, value, oak leaves	Coat of arms, year of minting	1992	1 July 2003	1 July 2004
	10 lei	23 mm	4.65 g		"~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦"	Value, year of minting, olive leaves	Flag, state title, "22 DECEMBRIE 1989"	1990
			5 g		Smooth	State title, value, olive leaves	Coat of arms, year of minting	1992
	20 lei	24 mm	5 g	Brass-plated steel	Smooth	Value, oak leaves, year of minting	Ştefan cel Mare, state title, "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE"	1991	1 July 2003	1 July 2004
	50 lei	26 mm	5.9 g			Value, olive leaves, year of minting	Alexandru Ioan Cuza, state title, "ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA"	1991
	100 lei	29 mm	8.75 g	Nickel-plated steel	"ROMANIA *** ROMANIA *** ROMANIA ***"	Value, oak leaves, olive leaves, year of minting	Mihai Viteazul, state title, "MIHAI VITEAZUL"	1991	1 January 2007	Indefinite
	500 lei	24 mm	3.75 g	Magnesium - Aluminium alloy (AlMg3)	"ROMANIA ♦ ROMANIA ♦ ROMANIA ♦"	State title, value, olive leaves	Coat of arms, year of minting, olive leaves	15 March 1999
						State title, value, Coat of arms, year of minting, a moon eclipsing the Sun	"ECLIPSA TOTALǍ DE SOARE 11 AUGUST 1999", allegoric representation of the eclipse, "'99"	11 August 1999
	1,000 lei	22 mm	2 g		Alternately smooth and milled	State title, value, year of minting, Coat of arms	Constantin Brâncoveanu, years of rule, "CONSTANTIN BRANCOVEANU"	2000
	5,000 lei	24 mm dodecagonal	2.50 g		Twelve smooth edges	State title, value	Coat of arms, year of minting, ornamental leaves	2001
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

As inflation took its toll, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 lei coins were introduced in 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively, and were the only coins circulating when the revaluation occurred. They were all criticized for being clumsy and difficult to use. The 500 lei coins were very thick (about 0.3 cm). Despite their small value, it took only a handful of such coins to fill one's pocket. They were also made of poor material and could be occasionally found with bite marks. The 1000 lei coin was considered too small and was also cheaply made, and the 5000 lei coin was not circular (it was a dodecagon). This made it awkward to handle and difficult to use in slot machines, where it was frequently the only coin accepted. The 500, 1,000 and 5,000 lei coins became worth 5, 10 and 50 bani with the revaluation.