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20 Lei Red Army Command
| Issuer | Comandamentul Armatei Roșii (Red Army Command) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | First leu (1867-1947) |
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| Obverse description | Blue-grey note with an intricate guilloche border framing the entire face. The denomination numeral '20' appears in large bold type at centre, flanked by matching numerals in the left and right panels, above the legend 'DOUE DECI LEI'. The issuing authority inscription 'Comandamentul Armatei Roșii' curves across the upper centre field. Serial number prefixes appear twice in the lower centre, and a boxed obligation clause at the bottom reads 'PRIMIRE ÎN TOATE PLĂȚILE ESTE OBLIGATORIE' with the year '1944'. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in solid blue, the reverse is dominated by a large central '20' numeral set within an elaborate guilloche rosette and floral underprint. The denomination 'DOUE DECI LEI' is rendered in bold letters across the lower centre, while the issuing authority 'COMANDAMENTUL ARMATEI ROȘII' arches along the upper margin. A fine-print warning legend against forgery runs along the bottom of the note. |
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| Comments |
Romania was occupied by Soviet forces following the August 1944 armistice, and the Red Army Command issued these notes — sometimes called "occupation lei" — to pay Soviet troops without drawing on existing Romanian National Bank reserves. The arrangement was deliberate: by printing their own lei in Moscow at Goznak rather than requisitioning the Banca Națională's stock, Soviet military authorities sidestepped formal accountability for the inflationary pressure the notes would inevitably generate.
Romania was ultimately required to absorb the full face value of this currency into its postwar monetary system, a condition written into the armistice terms. The resulting inflation contributed materially to the financial destabilization that preceded the communist takeover.