Pursuant to provisions of Law No. 312/2004 - The Statute of the NBR and Government Ordinance No. 45/1998, as approved by Law No. 244/1998 on vesting the National Bank of Romania with the power to put into circulation precious metal coins for numismatic purposes, the National Bank of Romania will put into circulation, starting with 26 September 2005, a gold coin with face value of LEI 500, the issue "50 years since George Enescu passed away".
Features of the coin:
- shape: round;
- metal: gold;
- fineness: 999/1000;
- quality: proof;
- weight: 31.103 grams;
- edge: smooth;
- diameter: 35 mm.
Obverse: the inscription "ROMANIA" and face value "500 LEI" are engraved in the middle. Romania's coat of arms and the year of issue "2005" are engraved diagonally, on a stylised stave, circular in shape. The stave features a musical passage as well as a piano and a violin, the two instruments that Enescu mastered.
Reverse: the portrait of George Enescu, composer, violinist, pianist and conductor, is engraved in the middle; the inscription "GEORGE ENESCU 1881-1955" is engraved semi-circularly. On the right side, the great composer's signature in facsimile can be seen.
The gold coins encapsulated in transparent metacrylate are accompanied by an authentication certificate (in Romanian and English) bearing the signatures of both the Governor and the Head Cashier of the National Bank of Romania, as well as by an issue prospectus.
The issue consists of 250 coins that are to be sold both domestically and abroad. The selling price is RON 2,100 or ROL 21,000,000 and includes the cost of the capsule, authentication certificate and issue prospectus.
The coins are to be sold in adequate cases. The price of the case and the value added tax of 19 percent are not included in the selling price.
The gold coins put into circulation by the National Bank of Romania may be purchased by both natural and legal entities for numismatic purposes. They may be held or exchanged by observing provisions of Art. 2 of Government Ordinance No. 45/1998, as approved by Law No. 244/1998.
The gold coin issue "50 years since since George Enescu passed away" are legal tender in Romania.
The design of the coin is protected by registration with the State Office of Trademarks in Romania. Forgery or counterfeiting of these coins is an infringement and shall be penalised according to the law.
The National Bank of Romania branches in Bucharest, Cluj, Iaşi and Timiş are in charge of putting the issue "50 years since George Enescu passed away" into circulation for numismatic purposes.