Banca Naţională a României

Pursuant to the provisions of Law No. 312/2004 - The Statute of the National Bank of Romania, as from 24 June 2009, the National Bank of Romania is to put into circulation for numismatic purposes a silver coin celebrating 650 years since the establishment of Wallachia's Metropolitan Bishopric.

The silver coin has the following characteristics:

• face value: leu 10;
• purity: 999/1000;
• weight: 31.103 g;
• shape: round;
• diameter: 37 mm;
• quality: proof;
• edge: milled.

Obverse: in the middle, on a matt stripe, the coat-of-arms of Romania and the portrait of Prince Nicolae Alexandru of Wallachia; on the left and right sides of the portrait, the inscriptions "NICOLAE ALEXANDRU" and "VOIEVOD"; above the matt stripe the inscription "ROMANIA" and the year of issue - 2009 and below the face value of the coin - 10 LEI.

Reverse: on the left side, the portrait of the first Metropolitan Bishop of Wallachia - Yakinthos of Vicina; on both sides of the portrait, the inscriptions "SF. IERARH" and "IACHINT"; on the right side, on a matt stripe, the image of "St. Nicholas" Princely Church in Curtea de Argeş, above and below the matt stripe the inscriptions "650 ANI DE LA" and "INTEMEIEREA MITROPOLIEI TARII ROMANESTI".

Each coin is embedded in a transparent plastic capsule and is accompanied by a leaflet featuring on overview of the numismatic issue in Romanian, English and French. The leaflet comes with a certificate of authenticity bearing the signatures of both the Governor and the Head Cashier of the National Bank of Romania. The coins are displayed in appropriate cases having the NBR logo - BNR - inscribed on the lid, with silver foil.

The numismatic issue comprises 500 coins.

The silver collector coins celebrating 650 years since the establishment of Wallachia's Metropolitan Bishopric are to be put into circulation through the branches of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi, and Timişoara.