Product Owner : Banca Nationalӑ a României
Banknote Denomination/s and Date of Issue
A new 20 Lei polymer banknote was launched by Banca Nationalӑ a României.The first in the country’s history to feature a woman – Ecaterina Teodoroiu, who fought and died as a front line soldier in the Romanian army in the First World War. The note was launched when the Romania celebrated its National Day on 1st December 2021.
Printed on Guardian™ polymer substrate, the design incorporates a bouquet of crocuses, the symbol; of the Romanian Scouts movement where Ecaterina was a member, the coat of arms of Romania, the winged figure of Victory from the country’s Victory Medal and an image of Mărășești Mausoleum.
In a statement, the bank mentioned that the new note which is the first in Romania to feature a female personality is to help strengthen gender equality and recognise the important roles of females in Romanian history and society.
Project Description
Banca Nationalӑ a României partnered with CCL Secure to supply Guardian™ polymer substrate for the Lei 20.
The note launched on Romania’s National Day on 1st December 2021 celebrated a heroine -Ecaterina Teodoroiu, who fought and died during the First World War. Due to the public interest and largely supported by the Romanian society, this is the first time a woman has been featured in the history of Romanian banknotes. Acknowledging the heroism of Ecaterina, who first wanted to be a teacher, but once the Romanian Kingdom entered World War 1, she started working as a nurse. Later after the death of her brother who died at the front, she replaced him and became a soldier which was very unusual decision for a woman. The note pays tribute to all Romanian soldiers killed in World War 1 with the inclusion of the Maraseti Mausoleum, a memorial site holding the remains of 5073 soldiers and officers.
Meanwhile the security features in the new note include a complex window design that features gold Metalix™ trumpet, a shadow image that shows the portrait of Ecaterina Teodoroiu and the bank’s logo. A MAGRead thread and, on the reverse of the not an IRISwitch stripe seamlessly integrates along with the design.
The Lei 20 is made of polymer with a mix of flat and raised printing techniques and it’s a predominant olive green in colour.
Innovation and Uniqueness of Security Features
The unique manufacturing process that creates Guardian™ polymer makes them inherently more secure. The advanced security features set extremely high barriers to counterfeiters. The features on the 20 Lei note seamlessly integrates into the design featuring a large complex transparent window along with other features including a gold Metalix™ trumpet, a shadow image that shows the portrait of Ecaterina Teodoroiu and the bank’s logo. A MAGRead thread and, on the reverse of the note, whilst an IRISwitch stripe seamlessly integrates along with the design.
The Lei 20 is made of polymer with a mix of flat and raised printing techniques and it’s a predominant olive green in colour.
Integration of historical or local content that is relevant to the country
concerned
A new 20 Lei polymer banknote was launched by Banca Nationalӑ a României.The first in the country’s history to feature a woman – Ecaterina Teodoroiu, who fought and died as a front line soldier in the Romanian army in the First World War. A significant milestone to strengthen gender equality and the important role of female personalities in Romanian history and society.
Ecaterina, who first wanted to be a teacher, but once the Romanian Kingdom entered World War 1, she started working as a nurse. Later after the death of her brother who died at the front, she replaced him and became a soldier which was very unusual decision for a woman. The note pays tribute to all Romanian soldiers killed in World War 1 with the inclusion of the Maraseti Mausoleum on the reverse of the note, a memorial site holding the remains of 5073 soldiers and officers.
Effectiveness of the integration of security features into the banknote
The new polymer Lei 20 note includes a complex window design that features a gold Metalix™ trumpet which creates a sheen in a range of colours adding to the impact of an image within the design, as well as offering exceptional durability.
Also includes a shadow image that shows the portrait of Ecaterina Teodoroiu and the banks logo, along with a MAGRead thread. On the reverse an IRISwitch stripe.
The Opticaly variable ink, allows some elements shift colour from gold to green when the banknote is tilted at certain angles. Whilst the IRISwitch stripe, a golden translucent stripe incorporates the face value in figures “20”.
Meanwhile, the UV fluorescent ink which is visible only when a UV light is shone is integrated into the face value and serial numbers of the banknote.
Aesthetic appeal and overall design of the banknote or banknote series
A significant milestone to strengthen gender equality and the important role of female personalities in Romanian history and society. The banknote was designed based off public interest and largely supported by the Romanian society to include a woman to be featured for the first time in the history of Romanian banknotes.
A portrait of a heroine during the First World War – Ecaterina Teodoroiu was awarded the medal for bravery, promoted to second lieutenant and given command of 25 man platoon. She was killed during battle in 1917.
The Lei 20 banknote was widely received by the Romanian public for recognising a heroine and paying tribute to the fallen heroes in a beautifully designed and constructed note.
