Pursuant to the provisions of Law No. 312/2004 – The Statute of the National Bank of Romania, on 25 October 2010, the National Bank of Romania will put into circulation, for numismatic purposes, two metallic coins, with face value of bani 50, commemorating the centennial anniversary of the first flight of an aircraft engineered by Aurel Vlaicu, namely a commemorative coin with legal tender status and a collector coin.
The two coins share the same technical characteristics with the bani 50 coins, 2005 issue, which are currently in circulation:
| Technical characteristics
| Commemorative coin with legal tender status
| Collector coin |
| Metal
| Brass Cu80Zn15Ni5 |
| Shape
| Round |
| Diameter
| 23.75 mm |
| Weight
| 6.1 g |
| Height at edge
| 1.9 mm |
| Edge
| “ROMANIA” inscribed twice, with a star separating the two words |
| Quality
| uncirculated
| proof |
| Packing
| -
| transparent plastic capsule |
| Coinage
| x
| 5,000 |
Both coins feature the same design:
Obverse: several items in descending order: year of issue “2010”, face value “50 BANI”, Romania’s coat of arms and the inscription “ROMANIA” in an arc of a circle; on a horizontally lined background, the face value of the coin “50” reproduced by means of larger-sized characters.
Reverse: on the left, on a vertically lined background, the inscription “AUREL VLAICU” in an arc of a circle and year “1910”, when Aurel Vlaicu made his first flight by an aircraft of his own design, and his portrait on the right; below, a depiction of “Vlaicu I” aeroplane and the years of Aurel Vlaicu’s birth and death, “1882” and “1913”.
Both coins are legal tender on the territory of Romania.
Commemorative metallic coins with legal tender status will circulate in parallel with the bani 50 coins, 2005 issue, which are currently in circulation.
The commemorative metallic coins will be put into circulation through the branches of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi and Timişoara when making cash payments to credit institutions/State Treasury.
The collector proof metallic coins will be put into circulation through the branches of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi and Timişoara.
The selling price for the collector proof metallic coin is lei 8.00, excluding VAT.
* * *
Starting 25 October 2010, the National Bank of Romania will also put into circulation, for numismatic purposes, a mint set celebrating the 150th Anniversary of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi.
The mint set encompasses all the Romanian denominations in circulation: ban 1, bani 5, bani 10, bani 50, including the bani 50 coin commemorating the centennial anniversary of the first flight in Romania of an aircraft engineered by Aurel Vlaicu, as well as a silver medal having the following technical characteristics:
- Metal: silver
- Fineness: 800‰
- Shape: round
- Diameter: 28mm
- Weight: 15.5 g
- Edge: smooth
Obverse: in the upper half, a depiction of the edifice of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza“ University of Iaşi; below, the first location of the university, on the outer ring, the inscriptions «UNIVERSITATEA „ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA“ IASI» up and “1860 - 2010” down.
Reverse: in the middle, the inscription “150 ANI”; to the left, a stanza from the academic hymn “Gaudeamus Igitur”: Vivat Academia, Vivant professores, Vivat membum quodlibet, Vivant membra quaelibet, Semper sint in flore! and to the right, the coat of arms of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi.
Both the medal and the coins in this set are proof quality.
The mint set comes in a case accompanied by a leaflet and each piece in this set is embedded in a special capsule.
The mintage of this issue is of 1,000 sets.
The selling price is lei 155.00 per set, excluding VAT.
The mint set with the year of issue 2010, celebrating the 150th Anniversary of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi, will be put into circulation through the branches of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi and Timişoara.