1 Leu

This note was issued in the immediate aftermath of Romania's territorial expansion following WWI — the country had nearly doubled in size by 1920, absorbing Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina, and the monetary system was under severe strain trying to absorb the different currencies circulating in those regions. Small-denomination notes like this one temporarily replaced coins, which had all but vanished from circulation due to metal hoarding during the war years.

Costin Petrescu was primarily a muralist and painter, best known for the monumental interior work at Ateneul Român. His involvement in banknote design was unusual for someone of his profile.