Central bank puts commemorative coins into circulation

The National Bank of Moldova on October 3 put three commemorative coins into circulation. Two of them – a gold and a silver one – are dedicated to Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu and supplement the commemorative series Classical Writers Alley in the Public Garden “Stephan the Great”. The third coin, made of silver, is dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the birth of Alexandru Bernardazzi and forms part of the series Personalities, Info-Prim Neo reports. The coins can be used as a means of payment and for numismatic purposes. The gold coin is worth 100 lei and was issued in 300 copies. It weighs 7.8 grams. Each of the two silver coins is worth 50 lei and weighs 13 grams. There were issued by 500 copies of the two coins. The coin dedicated to Alexandru Bernardazzi represents the effigy of the architect and the Chisinau-based Church “St Teodora de la Sihla” that was designed by him. The commemorative coins are packed in transparent methacrylate containers and presentation boxes and are accompanied by authenticity certificates in Romanian and English, which were signed by the governor of the National Bank. The coins can be sold through licensed banks at a price that can exceed that set by the central bank by up to 3%. Writer, historian, linguist, folklorist, scientist and politician Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu (1838-1907) is one of the most remarkable personalities of the Romanian culture of all times. He significantly contributed to developing the humanities and the national culture. Alexandru Bernardazzi (1831-1907) played a special role in developing the architecture in Bessarabia. In 1856-1878, he had worked as the chief architect of Chisinau and designed the most important buildings in the capital city.