Romanian Leu (RON) — Complete Guide
Banknotes, coins, security, BNR monetary policy, and the history of the leu
L
Romanian Leu — RON
National currency of Romania since 1867
EUR/RON Rate
5.2411
Central Bank
BNR
Banknotes
8
polymer
Since
1867
over 155 years
About the Romanian Leu
The Romanian leu (RON) has been the national currency of Romania since 1867. Romania is the only EU country with exclusively polymer banknotes — it fully switched to polymer in 2005, following a redenomination (10,000 ROL = 1 RON). The leu is the third oldest currency in Eastern Europe still in circulation. The EUR/RON exchange rate is the most important for the Romanian economy, and the BNR keeps it relatively stable through active foreign exchange market interventions.
Country
Romania
Symbol
lei
ISO 4217 Code
RON (new leu)
Subdivision
1 leu = 100 bani
2005 Denomination
Before
ROL (leu vechi)
After
RON (leu nou)
Rate
10.000 ROL = 1 RON
Date
1 iulie 2005
Eliminarea a 4 zerouri pentru simplificarea tranzacțiilor și alinierea la standardele europene
RON Banknotes in Circulation
| Value | Size | Color | Personality | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 RON | 120 x 62 | Olive green | Nicolae Iorga (historian, politician) (Polimer) | ~2 years |
| 5 RON | 127 x 67 | Purple | George Enescu (composer) (Polimer) | ~3 years |
| 10 RON | 133 x 72 | Pink | Nicolae Grigorescu (painter) (Polimer) | ~4 years |
| 20 RON | 135 x 72 | Light blue | Ecaterina Teodoroiu (WWI heroine) (Polimer — prima femeie pe o bancnotă românească) | ~5 years |
| 50 RON | 140 x 77 | Yellow/Ochre | Aurel Vlaicu (aviator, engineer) (Polimer) | ~7 years |
| 100 RON | 147 x 82 | Blue | Nicolae Grigorescu (painter) — old series / I.L. Caragiale (playwright) — new series (Polimer) | ~10 years |
| 200 RON | 150 x 82 | Brown-orange | Lucian Blaga (poet, philosopher) (Polimer) | ~12 years |
| 500 RON | 155 x 82 | Dark blue | Mihai Eminescu (national poet) (Polimer — cea mai mare bancnotă românească (~100 EUR)) | ~15 years |
Material
Polymer (thin transparent plastic) — Romania was the FIRST country in Europe to FULLY switch to polymer banknotes (2005)
Durability
2-4x more durable than paper; waterproof, wash-resistant, hard to tear; RON is among the most advanced banknotes in the world
RON Coins in Circulation
| Value | Material | Weight | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ban | Brass-plated steel | 2.4g | 16.75mm |
| 5 bani | Copper-plated steel | 2.78g | 18.25mm |
| 10 bani | Nickel-plated steel | 3.08g | 20.04mm |
| 50 bani | Brass (copper-zinc-nickel) | 6.1g | 23.75mm |
🔍 Easily Confused RON Banknotes
1 RON and 100 RON
Both have shades of green/blue; at a quick glance and in low light they can be confused, and the value difference is 100x
TIP:
1 RON is much smaller (120mm) and olive green; 100 RON is large (147mm) and blue
5 RON and 500 RON
5 RON (violet) and 500 RON (dark blue) have related shades; the value difference is 100x!
TIP:
500 RON is visibly larger (155mm vs 127mm) and dark blue, not violet
10 RON and 50 RON
10 RON (pink) and 50 RON (yellow-ochre) differ in color, but sizes are relatively close
TIP:
Check the color — pink vs yellow — and the large digit in the corner
20 RON and 200 RON
20 RON (light blue, new) and 200 RON (brown-orange) — 10x value difference
TIP:
200 RON is significantly larger and brown-orange; 20 RON is light blue and smaller
🛡 RON Banknote Security Features
Fereastră transparentă
Zonă complet transparentă în polimer cu elemente vizibile pe ambele părți — semnătura bancnotelor românești
Portret în fereastră
Portretul personalității apare în fereastra transparentă ca filigran integrat în polimer
Hologram pe folie metalică
Folie metalică aplicată peste polimer cu efect holografic care se schimbă la înclinare
Cerneala optically variable (OVI)
Valoarea nominală își schimbă culoarea (auriu-verde) la înclinarea bancnotei
Microtiparire
Text miniaturizat 'BNR' și valoarea nominală vizibil doar cu lupă — clar pe autentice, neclar pe falsuri
Element tactil
Literele 'BNR' și valoarea nominală sunt în relief perceptibil la atingere
UV fluorescent
Fibre și elemente care strălucesc în culori specifice sub lumină ultravioletă
Imagine latentă
La înclinare sub un unghi mic, apare valoarea nominală ascunsă în design
How to Verify a RON Banknote in 5 Steps
1
ATINGEȚI — simțiți relieful literelor BNR și al cifrei valorii; polimerul este neted și ferm, diferit de hârtie
2
PRIVIȚI FEREASTRA — zona transparentă trebuie să fie perfect clară, nu lipită sau imprimată; portretul apare în fereastră
3
ÎNCLINAȚI — cerneala OVI își schimbă culoarea din auriu în verde; hologramul se mișcă
4
VERIFICAȚI CU LUPĂ — microtiparirea 'BNR' este clară și uniformă pe bancnote autentice
5
SUB UV — fibrele fluorescente și elementele de securitate strălucesc în culori specifice
⚠ How to Spot Fake RON Banknotes
1
Transparent window: The clear polymer area must be perfectly transparent, not glued or printed. It is the hallmark of Romanian banknotes.
2
Touch: Polymer is smooth and firm — unlike paper. The BNR letters and denomination are embossed.
3
OVI ink: The denomination digit changes color from gold to green when you tilt the banknote.
4
Hologram: The metallic foil changes image when tilted — on genuine banknotes the movement is fluid.
5
Microprinting: Under a magnifying glass, the text 'BNR' and the denomination are clear and uniform.
6
UV: Under ultraviolet light, fibers and security features glow in specific colors.
Monetary Policy — Banca Națională a României (BNR)
Headquarters
București, România
Founded
1880
Inflation Target
2.5% (+/- 1 percentage point)
Decision Frequency
8 meetings per year of the BNR Board of Directors (every ~6 weeks)
Main Tools
●
Monetary policy interest rate (BNR reference rate)
●
Deposit facility and credit facility (interest rate corridor)
●
Minimum reserve requirement ratio (MRR) — in lei and foreign currency
●
Open market operations (repo, reverse repo)
●
Foreign exchange market interventions (buying/selling EUR/RON)
Independence: BNR is independent under Law 312/2004 and EU treaties; cannot grant credit to the government; the governor has a 5-year term
💡 Fun Facts About the Romanian Leu
•
Romania was the 3rd country in the world to issue polymer banknotes (after Australia and New Zealand)
•
The 2,000 lei (old) banknote from 1999 was the first polymer banknote in Europe
•
2005 redenomination: 10,000 ROL (old lei) = 1 RON (new leu) — four zeros were cut
•
The Romanian leu has existed since 1867 — over 155 years of history
•
The word 'leu' comes from the Dutch lion thaler (leeuwendaalder) that circulated in the Romanian Principalities in the 17th century
•
Romania is the only EU country with exclusively polymer banknotes
💰 Weight and Volume 1,000,000 RON (~200,000 EUR)?
Banknotes
2.000
banknotes of 500 RON
Weight
1.8 kg
About the weight of a 2L bottle of water — the advantage of polymer banknotes
Volume
A stack ~18 cm high (polymer is thinner than paper)
Fits in a small briefcase or backpack
In 100 RON banknotes: 10,000 banknotes, ~9 kg, ~90 cm high — a small suitcase full
RON Import/Export Rules — Romania and EU
↓
Import (entry into Romania)
Romania is in the EU. At the EU's external borders, amounts of **10,000 EUR or equivalent** (including RON) must be declared to customs. Within the EU, there are no restrictions.
↑
Export (exit from Romania)
When leaving the EU, the same rule applies: **10,000 EUR equivalent** must be declared. Within the EU (e.g., Romania-Hungary, Romania-Bulgaria) there are no customs controls.
No Declaration
Under the equivalent of 10,000 EUR (in any currency, including RON)
Declaration Required
10,000 EUR or equivalent — upon entry/exit from the EU
Advantages of the Romanian Leu
✔
Polymer banknotes — Romania is a world pioneer (first European country with all banknotes in polymer)
✔
Waterproof — RON banknotes resist water, dirt, and washing, unlike EUR or USD
✔
Hard to counterfeit — the polymer with a transparent window is extremely difficult to reproduce
✔
Cultural design — each banknote features a major figure of Romanian culture
✔
The 20 RON banknote with Ecaterina Teodoroiu — one of the first banknotes in the world featuring a military heroine
✔
Relative stability — the BNR maintains a relatively stable EUR/RON exchange rate through active interventions
👛 RON Banknotes in Your Wallet
Bancnotele RON cresc în dimensiune cu valoarea (de la 120mm la 155mm); cele mai mari bancnote din regiune
Comparison: Bancnotele RON sunt printre cele mai mari din Europa — bancnota de 500 RON (155mm) este mai lungă decât bancnota de 200 EUR (153mm)
Quick RON Info
ISO Code
RON
Symbol
lei
Subdivision
100 bani
Material
Polymer
Central Bank
BNR
In Circulation Since
1867
Polymer Since
2005
No. of Banknotes
8 values
No. of Coins
4 values