35. Leeuwendaalder Coin (ancestor of the Romanian Lei), Gelderland, Netherlands, 1638, silver

The "lion thaler" had a significant importance in the evolution of the monetary system in the Romanian lands, representing an essential stage in the transition from a diverse monetary system, based on foreign coins, to a more stable and unified one. In the 16th–17th centuries, in the context of the intense circulation of Dutch thalers (called "löwenthaler" - namely "the lion thaler", due to the rampant lion depicted on the reverse), these coins massively entered the trade in the Romanian lands. Due to the purity of the silver and constant weight, the lion thalers quickly became a reference unit in economic transactions. Their impact was so great that the name "lion" was adopted as a value standard. Even if the lion thalers were not locally minted, in popular consciousness and in commercial documents, the "lion" began to be used as a currency of account - a conventional reference value, without a local physical coin equivalent at that time. This evolution paved the way for the adoption of a national currency in the 19th century. When, in 1867, Romania officially adopted the "lion" as the national currency, this decision was based on the already existing economic and symbolic tradition. Thus, the lion thaler was not just a foreign coin accepted on Romanian territory, but also a precursor of the Romanian monetary identity.

Dimensions

custom d=41 mm

Description

750 silver

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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