In accordance with the provisions of Law No. 312/2004 - The Statute of the National Bank of Romania, as from 3 March 2008, the National Bank of Romania is to launch, for numismatic purposes, three coins made of gold, silver and coppered tombac, dedicated to the Latin poet Publius Ovidius Naso, to celebrate 2,000 years from his being sent into exile in Tomis (present-day Constanţa).
(1) The gold coin has the following characteristics:
- face value: leu 100;
- purity: 900/1000;
- weight: 6.452 g;
- shape: round;
- diameter: 21 mm;
- quality: proof;
- edge: ridged.
Obverse: in the middle, the face value inscribed on two rows - "LEI 100" and, below, Romania's coat of arms surrounded by a laurel wreath; in the lower half, the word "ROMANIA" inscribed circularly.
Reverse: in the middle, the bust of the poet Ovid, a reproduction of his statue in Constanţa, on the right, the year of issue "2008" underlined by a garland, all around the texts "PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO" above and " A.D. VIII " TOMIS " A.D. XVII" below.
(2) The silver coin has the following characteristics:
- face value: leu 5;
- purity: 999?;
- weight: 15.55 g;
- shape: round;
- diameter: 30 mm;
- quality: proof;
- edge: ridged.
Obverse: in the middle, the face value inscribed on two rows - "LEI 5" and, below, Romania's coat of arms surrounded by a laurel wreath; in the lower half, the word "ROMANIA" inscribed circularly.
Reverse: in the middle, the bust of the poet Ovid, a reproduction of his statue in Constanţa, on the right, the year of issue "2008" underlined by a garland, all around the texts "PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO" above and " A.D. VIII " TOMIS " A.D. XVII" below.
(3) The coppered tombac coin has the following characteristics:
- face value: leu 1;
- weight: 23.5 g;
- shape: round;
- diameter: 37 mm;
- quality: proof;
- edge: ridged.
Obverse: in the middle, the face value inscribed on two rows - "LEI 1" and below, Romania's coat of arms surrounded by a laurel wreath; in the lower half, the word "ROMANIA" inscribed circularly.
Reverse: in the middle, the bust of the poet Ovid, a reproduction of his statue in Constanţa, on the right, the year of issue "2008" underlined by a garland, all around the texts "PUBLIUS OVIDIUS NASO" above and " A.D. VIII " TOMIS " A.D. XVII" below.
Each coin is embedded in a transparent plastic capsule and is accompanied by a leaflet in Romanian, English and French. The leaflet comes with an authentication certificate bearing the signatures of both the Governor and the Head Cashier of the National Bank of Romania. The coins will be displayed in appropriate cases having the NBR logo - BNR - inscribed on the lid.
The numismatic issue comprises 1,750 coins, of which 250 gold coins, 500 silver coins and 1,000 coppered tombac coins.
The coins made of gold, silver and coppered tombac, dedicated to the Latin poet Publius Ovidius Naso, shall be legal tender in Romania.
The collector coins made of gold, silver and coppered tombac, in the issue dedicated to the Latin poet Publius Ovidius Naso, are put into circulation through the branches of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi, and Timişoara.