1176) 30th Anniversary of the Revolution against Communism, Romania: 50 Bani (Brass) and 10 Lei (Silver) Commemorative Coins issued by the "Banca Nationala a Romaniei" (National Bank of Romania): Coin issue date: 16.12.2019:
The "Banca Nationala a Romaniei" (National Bank of Romania) has issued Commemorative collector coins that honour the Revolution that took place towards end-1989 and brought about the downfall/removal of the last communist dictator to rule the country - Nicolae Ceausescu, one-time President of Romania.
His ouster followed from a popular uprising in several towns and cities throughout the country.
A provisional government was put in place by the Romanian military, who declared their allegiance to a provisional president not aligned to the Communist Party. A democratically elected government was first installed on 20.05.1990, with a new Constitution being formally adopted on 21.11.1991.
The sequence of events which led to the institution of democracy in Romania:
Towards the end of the 1980s, the Iron Curtain was finally descending on Eastern Europe and the USSR's Warsaw Pact alliance was in shambles.
The Romanian people witnessed saw several communist governments collapsing in Eastern Europe. Sensing that the time had come to do away with the communist dictatorship in their own country, the citizens rose up against their president and general secretary of the Romanian Communist Part - Nicolae Ceausescu (1918-1989) who had held unbridled power since 1965.
Breakaway governments within the USSR were declaring their intent to become independent and neighbouring countries near Romania were dismantling their communist regimes/apparatus and forming governments to re-establish democracy.
Ceausescu tried to hold onto power by crushing the uprising. Already aged 71 years, he even got himself elected by the communist party for another five year term as its leader, further infuriating the Romanian citizenry.
In a speech on 21/12/1989, in which he denounced the anti-communist uprisings all over eastern Europe, he was shouted down by hundreds of thousands of persons on the streets, while he attempted to speak to them. Violent demonstrations broke out in Bucharest and Timisoara with the protestors vowing to bring down the much hated President and those around him, including his family, who were regarded by the people as profoundly corrupt.
A violent end to a dictator:
By 22.12.1989, the situation became untenable, his advisors prompted him and his family to leave the capital Bucharest and seek safety. Ceausescu and his wife fled the capital in a helicopter to one of their summer residences. As this location was also deemed unsafe by their bodyguards, they fled the next day to the town of Targoviste where they were forced to abandon their helicopter. as it had been ordered to land by the army. The Ceausescus were eventually apprehended by the local police, who turned them over to the military.
On 25.12.1989, the Ceausescus were summarily tried before an impromptu court which convened in a small room on the orders of the National Salvation Front - Romania's new provisional government. They faced charges which included the illegal gathering/accumulation of wealth and genocide against the Romanian citizens. Ceausescu repeatedly protested against the court's authority to try him and asserted that he was still legally the president of Romania.
At the end of this summary trial, the Ceausescus were found guilty of their crimes and sentenced to death, while the whole country watched the proceedings being broadcast intermittently on television. The Ceausescus were executed by firing squad, with Ceausescu singing "The Internationale:, the socialist anthem, while being led up against the wall.
The Commemorative Coins:
The National Bank of Romania (NBR) has brought out 500 10 Lei Silver Proof Coins and 50,000 Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) Brass Revolution Anniversary coins. A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) issued under the signatures of NBR Governor and the Central Cashier is included with the coins which are available directly through Bucharest, Cluj, Lasi and Timisoara regional branches of the NBR.
A further mintage of 10,000,000 brass circulation quality coins are being put into general circulation.
The coins have been minted by the "Monetaria Statului" at its facilities in Bucharest on behalf of the National Bank.
The Obverse and Reverse of a 10 Lei Silver Coin, placed together.
The Obverse of the 10 Lei Silver Coin depicts a familiar and very popular image of a protestor in Bucharest, who flies a flag of Romania (minus the communist crest, which once was part of the official design). The crest has been cut out of the flag, as a measure of protest to show the citizen's opposition to communism, while the remaining part of the flag has the traditional colours of blue, yellow and red vertical fields of equal measure. Also shown is the sign of peace, the protestor is signalling with his left hand.
The crest of the Republic is placed above the primary design and the denomination of "10 LEI" is superimposed over and positioned over the protester's engraving in the lower half of the coin design.
The Reverse of the 10 Lei Silver Coin depicts a scene during major protests in Bucharest - an army tank with protestors who have climbed onto it along with soldiers (the tank crew). They are in front of the office of the former president, who has made his last speech to the citizens gathered in what is now known as "Revolution Square", just before he was forced to flee permanently.
The peripheral text reads - "REVOLUTIA ROMANA DIN DECEMBRIE" and the year when theevents took place "1989".
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: 10 Lei; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver; Weight: 31.1 grams or 1 Oz; Diameter/Size: 37.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum Mintage: 500 pieces; Year: 2019; Minted by: Monetana Statului; On behalf of: National Bank of Romania.
The Reverse of the 50 Bani Brass Coin is identical to the Reverse of the 10 Lei Silver Coin
The Obverse of the 50 Bani Brass Coin is identical to the Obverse of the 10 Lei Silver Coin
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: 50 Bani; Metal Composition: Brass; Weight: 6.1 grams; Diameter/Size: 23.7 mm; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU); Maximum Mintage:50,000 pieces; Year: 2019; Minted by: Monetana Statului; On behalf of: National Bank of Romania.
The iconic image of protestors atop a military tank in front of a burning presidential office.
6) Pope Francis' visit to Romania (31.05.2019-02.06.2019: celebrated with 500 Lei Gold & Aluminium-Zinc 50 Bani Collector Coins and a 50 Bani Circulation Coin
7) 30th Anniversary of the Revolution against Communism, Romania: 50 Bani (Brass) and 10 Lei (Silver) Commemorative Coins issued by Banca Nationala a Romaniei (National Bank of Romania): Coin issue date: 16.12.2019
A further mintage of 10,000,000 brass circulation quality coins are being put into general circulation.
The coins have been minted by the "Monetaria Statului" at its facilities in Bucharest on behalf of the National Bank.
The Obverse of the 10 Lei Silver Coin depicts a familiar and very popular image of a protestor in Bucharest, who flies a flag of Romania (minus the communist crest, which once was part of the official design). The crest has been cut out of the flag, as a measure of protest to show the citizen's opposition to communism, while the remaining part of the flag has the traditional colours of blue, yellow and red vertical fields of equal measure. Also shown is the sign of peace, the protestor is signalling with his left hand.
The crest of the Republic is placed above the primary design and the denomination of "10 LEI" is superimposed over and positioned over the protester's engraving in the lower half of the coin design.
The Reverse of the 10 Lei Silver Coin depicts a scene during major protests in Bucharest - an army tank with protestors who have climbed onto it along with soldiers (the tank crew). They are in front of the office of the former president, who has made his last speech to the citizens gathered in what is now known as "Revolution Square", just before he was forced to flee permanently.
The peripheral text reads - "REVOLUTIA ROMANA DIN DECEMBRIE" and the year when theevents took place "1989".
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: 10 Lei; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver; Weight: 31.1 grams or 1 Oz; Diameter/Size: 37.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Maximum Mintage: 500 pieces; Year: 2019; Minted by: Monetana Statului; On behalf of: National Bank of Romania.
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: 50 Bani; Metal Composition: Brass; Weight: 6.1 grams; Diameter/Size: 23.7 mm; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU); Maximum Mintage:50,000 pieces; Year: 2019; Minted by: Monetana Statului; On behalf of: National Bank of Romania.
Links to some posts on Romanian currency and philately on this Blog:
6) Pope Francis' visit to Romania (31.05.2019-02.06.2019: celebrated with 500 Lei Gold & Aluminium-Zinc 50 Bani Collector Coins and a 50 Bani Circulation Coin
7) 30th Anniversary of the Revolution against Communism, Romania: 50 Bani (Brass) and 10 Lei (Silver) Commemorative Coins issued by Banca Nationala a Romaniei (National Bank of Romania): Coin issue date: 16.12.2019
No comments:
Post a Comment