Obverse : Stephen III Mușat, known as Stephen the Great (Ștefan cel Mare), born in 1433 in Borzești and deceased in 1504 in Suceava, was the Voivode of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He is renowned for his military victories against the Ottomans, Hungarians, and Poles, notably at the Battle of Vaslui in 1475, where he delivered a historic defeat to the Ottomans. A protector of Orthodox Christianity, he built numerous monasteries and churches, many of which are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. A symbol of national resistance, he was canonized by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1992.
Reverse : The Căpriana Monastery, founded in the 15th century during the reign of Alexander the Good, is one of Moldova's oldest and most important monasteries, located about 40 km from Chișinău, nestled in scenic forests. It is a key symbol of Moldovan religious and cultural heritage, having experienced periods of both prosperity and decline. Its architecture blends Byzantine and Baroque influences, and it has played a central role in the region's spirituality, notably with the presence of Metropolitan Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni. Restored after the Soviet era, it is now an active pilgrimage site and a center of monastic life.
