A coin with a statue modelled on it
Moldova
(Map of Europe showing Moldova in green, from Wikipedia).
Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordering Romania to the west, and Ukraine to the north, east and south. The territory which is now Moldova has been populated since ancient times.
Approximately 7,550 to 4,750 years ago. Cucuteni-Trypillian culture was a neolithic civilization that flourished in present-day Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. Developing new techniques for ceramic production; housing, building, & agriculture; and producing woven textiles. Although many of their settlements were small, they were highly dense, spaced 3-4 km (2-2.5 mi) apart. From around 4,000 – 3,500 BC they built some of the largest settlements in neolithic Europe, with many thousands of structures, inhabited by up to 46,000 people. It is believed there was a periodic destruction of settlements every 60-80 years, although exactly why is unclear as many were then rebuilt again in the same place. Neolithicarch.com has a good history of this period.
(Pottery, from Neolithicarch.com).
The region came under the control of the Romans during the time of Emperor Trajan, around 105 AD. After the evacuation of the Roman legions from these territories in 271, there began the “migrating nations” epoch of the Goths, Huns and Avars. From the 5th century, Slavs were particularly prominent. From the 12th century, the territory came under the control of the Golden Horde (Mongols led by a grandson of Genghis Khan).
In 1359, following the weakening of the Golden Horde, came the formation of the Moldovan feudal state. Bogdan I is considered to be its founder.
The area later came under the control of the Ottoman and Russian empires. In 1918, with the breakup of the Ottoman empire, Moldova joined Romania, however in 1940, the region was annexed by the Soviet Union and became part of the USSR.
On 27 August 1991, with the breakup of the USSR, Moldova became an independent and sovereign state.
Obverse
The obverse of the coin contains the coat of arms of Moldova. This depicts an eagle holding a cross in its beak, a sceptre and olive branch in its claws. Moldova is an overwhelmingly Eastern Orthodox Christian country, over 90%. Hence, the cross in the coat of arms. The chest of the eagle is a shield which is red over blue depicting an aurochs in yellow. The red, yellow and blue are the colours of the country flag. The aurochs were a very large type of wild ox. Although extinct, there are now moves to try to bring them back. On the shield, there is an 8-pointed star between the aurochs horns, a rose on the left and crescent moon on the right.
Interestingly, on every depiction of the coat of arms I can find, the horns are directly connected to the aurochs head, although on the coin, they are distinctly separate. Although this appears on other coins from Moldova as well.
The coin has the country name “Republica Moldova” around the edge.
Reverse
The reverse of the coin contains the value dividing the year. Under this is an M in a diamond, which Numista describes as “M Monogram” which “stands for the name of the country, Moldova”. The mint isn’t listed, but the engraver was Constantin Dumitrescu, who worked at the Monetăria Statului, the state mint of Romania.
Statue
What brought this coin to my attention was a post by Atlas Obscura, about a 1 Ban statue. “This oversized tribute to the nation’s tiniest coin highlights the value of small contributions.”
Atlas Obscura note: “In the heart of Chisinau’s financial district, just a coin toss away from the National Bank of Moldova and the Academy of Economic Studies, a giant bronze 1 ban coin appears to sink into the pavement. It’s not a glitch in the sidewalk — it’s the 1 Ban Monument, a public sculpture that turns the nation’s smallest denomination into a surprisingly grand statement.
The monument was conceived in 2016 by Dmitrii Voloshin, one of Moldova’s leading tech entrepreneurs and a passionate backer of civic initiatives. In a refreshingly democratic twist, the artwork was funded by setting aside 1 ban from every ad posted on Voloshin’s popular classifieds platform. Over time, these nearly worthless coins added up, financing an installation that quite literally elevates small change.”
The Atlas Obscura article notes an intentional error with the coat of arms being upside down. Comparing to the coin, the coat of arms itself is the right way up, but what they mean is that whole side of the coin is rotated from where it should be. The coin itself is in “Coin” orientation. That is, if you hold the top and bottom and rotate by the sides to show the other side, the design appears upside down. Whereas the sculpture is “Medal” orientation – where both sides are the same way up. The top of the design is at the top of the sculpture (aside from being rotated 20°) on both sides. The article says this “deliberate minting error” is meant to bring good fortune. And why not?
Keeping coins
(Indigenous style Kangaroo on a 1988 Australian Bicentenary dollar coin).
How can you make your smallest coins make a difference? For awhile a number of years ago, I used to keep $2 coins out of change – every time I bought something with a note and got coins in change, I would set aside the $2 coins. I quickly saved up a couple hundred dollars like this. Of course, sometimes we keep every example of coin we find just because we really like it. I have always kept the Australian Bicentenary dollar as I find it in change (less frequently these days nearly 40 years after it was minted). When I have had the opportunity to visit the United States, I always enjoy their common circulation quarter (although the fact they have so many commemorative circulation quarters is interesting of itself. Do you have a favourite coin you like to set aside? Either to save to spend, or just because you love the design? Do let us know in the comments!
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