Romania 5000 Lei Lucian Blaga 1998 Pick 107b UNC Banknote
The Romania 5000 Lei 1998 Pick 107b is an attractive late-20th-century Romanian banknote dedicated to Lucian Blaga, one of the country’s leading literary and philosophical figures.
Issued by the Banca Națională a României, the redesigned 5000 Lei entered circulation on 1 June 1998. It measures 145 × 64 mm, is printed on paper and combines the portrait of Blaga with floral and traditional Romanian cultural imagery.
The note was eventually withdrawn from circulation on 17 June 2002.
Historical Background
Lucian Blaga (1895–1961) was a Romanian poet, philosopher, playwright, diplomat and cultural thinker.
His work explored subjects such as knowledge, spirituality, mythology, culture and the relationship between humanity and the mysteries of existence. His combination of philosophy and poetry made him one of the distinctive intellectual voices of 20th-century Romania.
The National Bank selected Blaga for its redesigned 5000 Lei denomination in 1998, replacing the earlier 5000 Lei design featuring Avram Iancu. Contemporary documentation confirms that the new notes entered circulation from 1 June 1998. Biblioteca Digitală Arad
Technical Specifications
- Country: Romania
- Denomination: 5000 Lei
- Year: 1998
- Pick Number: P-107b
- Condition: Uncirculated (UNC)
- Issuer: Banca Națională a României
- Currency: Romanian Leu (ROL)
- Material: Paper
- Dimensions: 145 × 64 mm
- Portrait: Lucian Blaga (1895–1961)
- Dominant tones: Yellow-orange, red, blue and brown
- Issue date: 1 June 1998
- Type: Standard circulation banknote
- Status: Withdrawn
- Variety: Large italic BNR watermark Numista
Obverse
The obverse features:
- Portrait of Lucian Blaga
- Daffodil (Narcissus) at the centre
- Romanian Coat of Arms
- Banca Națională a României inscription
- 5000 Lei / Cinci Mii Lei denomination
- Date 1998
- Governor and central cashier signatures
- Complex multicoloured security patterns
The National Bank’s contemporary description specifically identifies the daffodil as one of the representative graphic elements accompanying Blaga’s portrait. Infodosar
Reverse
The reverse features:
- A traditional roadside crucifix
- Vine leaf
- Banca Națională a României inscription
- 5000 Lei denomination
- Serial number
- BNR monogram
These motifs give the note a distinctly Romanian cultural character and complement the literary and philosophical figure depicted on its obverse. Numista
Security Features
The redesigned 5000 Lei incorporated several security features documented at the time of its introduction:
- Lucian Blaga portrait watermark
- Additional BNR watermark
- Fully embedded security thread
- Repeated “BNR 5000” inscription on the thread
- Front-to-back registration feature forming a flower
- Anti-scanner and anti-copy patterns
- Microtext
- UV-fluorescent security thread
- Yellow fluorescent 5000 element visible under ultraviolet light Infodosar
These features made the 1998 redesign substantially more sophisticated than many earlier Romanian paper issues.
Why Add This Banknote to Your Collection?
The Romania 5000 Lei Lucian Blaga 1998 Pick 107b UNC banknote combines literature, philosophy and Romanian cultural symbolism in one distinctive design.
It is especially interesting for collectors of Romanian currency, Eastern European banknotes, writers and philosophers on money, cultural themes and historical UNC world banknotes.
