22 mm diameter, 2 g, AlMg3, grained edge denomination "1000 LEI", ROMANIA, year 2000 and Romanian coat of arms	inscription CONSTANTIN BRANCOVEANU, 1688-1714 and voivod bust

This coin was issued on 23rd of October 2000.

On the edge there are eight groups of five teeth each. This is the first Romanian coin featuring discontinuous graining. Although not stated so by any marks on either side, this coin was also engraved by Vasile Gabor.

About the canonization of Constantin Brîncoveanu

The coin portrays the Walachian voivod (prince) Constantin Brîncoveanu. Besides the crown of Walachia, he was crowned with the holy wreath of the martyrs, dying the violent death of beheading to which he was subjected by the Turks. He refused to abjure the Christian faith and convert to Islam. Together with him have died the same death his sons Constantin, Ştefan, Radu and Matei and also the clucer (nobleman charged with prince's court supplies) Ianache Văcărescu, one of the voivod's counsellors. They are among the last of the orthodox martyrs and as such the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized all Brîncoveanu Saints on 21st of July 1992. They are celebrated on 16th of August.

About the coins-medals struck by Constantin Brîncoveanu

We quote below three paragraphs from the Chronicle of the Romanians by the Romanian historian Gheorghe Şincai. The text belongs to the chapter dedicated to the year 1713 and refers directly to the gold coins struck by voivod Brîncoveanu.

And Delchiaro writes "[...] the indictments that were sent to the Turkish Porte on prince Brâncovan were these [...] 10. That he had golden coins struck in Transylvania, of 2 and also of several galbeni [galben means, besides color yellow, a golden coin in Romanian], even of 10 galbeni, of which one is sent to the Sultan, to a better ascertaining, and the other coins will be found in his private treasury, with many gemstones, that cannot be priced, when Brâncovan will be overthrown.

Why for did Brâncovan allow these coins to be made, many people have many explanations, but altogether they say that in the day of Saint Mary's Dormition of year 1714, when he would have entered his 60th year of his age and the 26th of his rule, he wished to give a very wonderful feast to all his boyars and at the end of the feast he wanted to allot these coins to every boyar, after his rank or official position held; but wow and wretched! in that very day his four sons and him were cut down."

About those gold coins of, so does Samoil Chéleşeri write: "For the family remembrance galbeni of ten and five had recently been struck by the prince of Walachia, that on one side had his countenance, after the custom of the Romanians, embellished with an expensive mitre on the head and with mantle hanging of the shoulders, and around with this inscription: "Constantinus Besaraba de Brâncovan", on the other side had the coat of arms or the blazon of Walachia used by the princes for the political affairs, because in the Church affairs they use a seal, with Saints Constantine and Helena engraved, holding the cross in the hands. Under the princely mitre, in the shield there was a raven with spread wings, holding an regular cross with the beak and standing on a part of a tree branch and above at one side the sun, at the other side the moon, with the inscription "D.G. Vaivoda et Princeps Valachiae Transalpinae" around. This coin unfortunate brought doom on Brancovanian family, after the prince fell with his in the hands of the Turks."