View source for Romania 1983-FM 500 lei

[[Image:Romania H3064-31543a.jpg|300px|thumb|Heritage sale 3064, part of lot 31543]]
[[Image:Romania H3064-31543b.jpg|300px|thumb]]

This specimen was part of lot 31543 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), which sold for $4,200. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, "Socialist Republic 4-Piece NGC-Certified Proof Set 1983, 1) silver 50 Lei - PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC; 2) silver 100 Lei - PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC; 3) gold 500 Lei - PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC; 4) gold 1000 Lei - PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC, KM 101. Franklin Mint. A popular and highly elusive modern set, struck for the 2050th anniversary of the first independent state. Wonderfully preserved, each coin in this set is uniquely numbered on the edge with a 0034/1000 stamp. Accompanied with the original Franklin Mint packaging that confirms each coin was struck on the first day of minting and together, carrying an impressive $17,600 value in the Standard Catalog of World Coins." While power outages darkened Bucharest and children starved in the orphanages, the Communist regime commissioned the Franklin Mint to produce a series of silver and gold commemoratives to honor the 2,050th Anniversary of the First Independent State. They were minted in 1982-83 in denominations of fifty, hundred, five hundred and one thousand lei. The coinage of Communist [[Romania]] is scanty and most years saw none issued at all.

''Recorded mintage:'' 7,000 plus 1,000 proofs.

''Specification:'' 8 g, 0.900 fine gold, 25 mm diameter.

''Catalog reference:'' Fr-23; KM 99. 

''[[Bibliography|Sources:]]''
* Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, ''Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed.,'' Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
* Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
* <sup>[1]</sup>Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, ''Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens,'' Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.

''Links:''
* [[Romania 1982-FM 500 lei|1982-FM 500 lei]]
* [[Romania 1983-FM 50 lei]]
* [[Romania 1983-FM 100 lei]]
* [[Romania 1983-FM 1000 lei]]
* [[Romania 1999 500 lei KM-146]] solar eclipse
* [[Romania 1999 1000 lei]] papal visit
* [[Coins and currency dated 1983]]

[[Category:Selections from Heritage sale 3064]]