This listing is for the photographed Romanian Five Lei. XF (Extremely Fine) Details / Condition. Scarce coin type and date. This variety is the "Engraver name near edge" (where others from 1880 have the engraver name near the truncation of Carlos the first).
Mintage: 1,800,000 (including both 1880 varieties).
The name of the currency means "lion", and is derived from the Dutch thaler (leeuwendaalder "lion thaler/dollar"). It is subdivided into 100 bani, a word that means both "money" and "coin" in the Romanian language.
In 1860, the Domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza attempted to create a national românul ("the Romanian"); however, the project was not approved by the Ottoman Empire.
On 22 April 1867, a bimetallic currency was adopted, with the leu equal to 5 grams of 83.5% silver or 0.29032 grams of gold. The first leu coin was minted in Romania in 1870.
Before 1878 the silver Russian ruble was valued so highly as to drive the native coins out of circulation. Consequently, in 1889, Romania unilaterally joined the Latin Monetary Union and adopted a gold standard. Silver coins were legal tender only up to 50 lei.
Currency First leu (1867-1947)
Composition Silver (.900)
Weight 25 g
Diameter 37 mm
Thickness 2.5 mm
1880 Romania Silver 5 Lei - XF (Extremely Fine) Details / Condition, Engraver Name Near Rim Variety - Romanian Five Lei 1880, Rarer Coin