Romanian leu
Worldwide use:
- Romania
Description:
The Romanian Leu, meaning "Lion," is the currency of Romania. The currency has had a history of instability. Since 1867 to 1991 there have been four editions of the currency. One Lue is subdivided into 100 Bani and the most frequently used coins are the 10 and 50 Bani. Banknotes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 Lei and the rarely used 200 and 500 Lei.
Between 1970 and 1989, foreign currency was not allowed to be bought or sold by private individuals in Romania. Attempting to buy or sell currency was a criminal offense that could lead to imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Origin:
During the 1990's after the fall of the Communist Party, inflation ran high, reaching a peak of 300% per year in 1993. By September 2003 the exchange rate with the Euro was 1 Euro to 40,000 Lei. This led to Romania being the holder of the least valued currency in 2005.
Component units:
- bani (100)
Date introduced:
- 1870
Central bank:
- National Bank of Romania
Printer:
- National Bank of Romania
Mint:
- Monetaria Statului