Moldovan Leu MDL

The Moldovan leu is the official currency of Moldova, issued by the National Bank of Moldova. One leu is divided into 100 bani. Banknotes in circulation are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 lei, and coins are available in 1, 2, 5, 10 lei, as well as 5, 10, 25, and 50 bani.

History of the Moldovan Leu

The leu first became the official currency of Moldova in 1918 and was used until 1940. In 1944, Moldova became part of Romania again and switched to a coupon currency at a rate of 1 leu = 1000 coupons. In 1993, after Moldova gained independence, the leu was reintroduced as the national currency.

Interesting Facts about the Moldovan Leu

The leu is not used throughout all of Moldova. It is not used in the breakaway region of Transnistria, where neither the leu nor Moldova are recognized. In this region, the currency in circulation is the Transnistrian ruble.