200 lei

Romania's 200 lei denomination was introduced as part of the 2005 redenomination, when 10,000 old lei were exchanged for 1 new leu — one of the most significant monetary reforms in post-communist Romanian history. The 200 lei note sits near the top of the series, a high-value paper issue at a time when the National Bank of Romania was simultaneously rolling out polymer notes for lower denominations, an unusual inversion of the more common practice of introducing plastic at the top end first.

Paper survivability for circulated examples in this denomination tends to be poor; the note changed hands infrequently enough that heavily worn copies are actually rarer than one might expect.