HISTORY OF MONEY V. Krasnikov. Moldavan Leu – legacy of cen

”MOST RECENTLY, IN 2018, MOLDOVA CELEBRATED THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF ITS NATIONAL CURRENCY – MOLDOVAN LEU CELEBRATED ITS 25 th ANNIVERSARY. DESPITE ITS SEEMINGLY SHORT CENTURY, THIS MONETARY UNIT HAS SURVIVED MANY CATACLYSMS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE POST-SOVIET SPACE. “

MOLDOVAN LEU – LEGACY OF CENTURIES

Yeah, you shouldn't go for leu like a very young piece of money. Firstly, even earlier the name "lei" began to be actively used for the name of the Romanian monetary unit. And, secondly, if we go a little deeper into the origin of this word, we can find here an order of forgotten Western European roots.

The word "leu" itself comes from the Latin "leo", which translates as "lion". This was the name given to the Dutch Thaler, widely spread in Europe in the XVI-XVII centuries, on the modern Moldovan and Romanian territories, one side of which was decorated with the image of a heraldic lion standing on its hind legs. This coin played a huge role in the economic development of many regions and countries of that period, which was reflected in the Moldovan language.

It is also interesting that the coin exchanged in Moldova "ban" actually means "money". But its origin is not new, so from XVII century called the exchange monetary unit of the Lower Danube principalities.

Thus, the appearance in 1993 of the new monetary unit of Moldova turned out to be not some accident or adoption of traditions of the European neighbor, but a tribute to the centuries-old traditions and culture of the land where Moldovan Leu was to start its circulation.

There have been no changes either. Thus, the first issue of Moldovan lei, which replaced the Soviet rubles and Moldovan coupons in circulation, existed only until 1994 and was replaced by new banknotes. Many experts point out that the first banknotes nominated in Moldovan lei and printed in Romania repeated with their design a Romanian banknote of 1966 model with a face value of five lei. The plot of the banknote turned out to be really unthinkable: on the front side was placed the portrait of one of the most famous rulers of the Moldavian Principality, Mr. Stefan III the Great, and on the back – a fortress founded by him on the right bank of the Dniester River in the town of Soroca.

The new 1994 sample banknotes were made at a higher level, but many of the design elements chime with the first issue. For example, today banknotes of all denominations on the front side still have the portrait image of Stefan III the Great. On the other hand, the reverse side carries images of various cultural and historical objects significant for Moldova.

A series of coins, launched in Moldova in 2018-2019, deserves special attention today. Four coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5 and 10 lei were produced in a single design. It is noteworthy that if the coins are positioned correctly, their obverse forms the coat of arms of Moldova, while the reverse forms the head of the tour, which has long been the central heraldic figure of the coat of arms of the Moldovan princedom.

This approach once again emphasizes the importance of the Moldovan leu, not only as a monetary unit, but also as a significant cultural symbol of the country, its self-identity in the context of globalization.

Vitaly Krasnikov, Analyst