The Romanian Mint has just issued a set of coins that commemorate the ancient Roman poet Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso). Precisely 2000 years ago, Emperor Augustus banished him to Tomis (today the city of Constanţa) on the Black Sea. Ovid lived there, and continued to write, until he died in 17.

This image http://www.muenzblog.de/bilder/rumaenien-ovidius-2008.jpg shows the 1 leu coin; the mint also issued a 5 lei silver coin and a 100 lei gold coin http://www.bnro.ro/En/Press/E20080303num.htm (same design). Unfortunately the mintages are extremely low, but that seems to be common with Romanian commems. 1000 base metal (copper tombac) pieces, 500 silver and 250 gold, were issued.

Christian

The Romanian's National Bank office from my city is one of the four where the commem coins are available for sale. My company make repairs and paintings on RNB building and my boss is well known (and welcomed there). But it wasn't able to obtain a set for me. Seems that only very few sets were available for ordinary people, all the rest nobody knows where disappears. Despite the prices (more than 600$ at RNB)!

Guess that means you don't have a stash of those copper/tombac 1 leu coins at hand? Bummer - then I won't even ask the question I was about to ask ...

Christian

Ha, one of the three-coin sets is apparently in Wuppertal, which is near where I am. So close, and yet so far.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=140218933263

Maybe the 1 leu coin alone will show up for sale somewhere later ...

Christian