37 mm diameter ?, ? g, flat edge ROMANIA and face value 100 LEI, separated by two groups of three stars with five points each, coat of arms of Romania inside an inner linear circle; two of the pearls are replaced by V.G, initials of engraver Vasile Gabor	inscriptions FRANTA '98 and CAMPIONATUL MONDIAL DE FOTBAL meaning FRANCE '98 and FOOTBALL WORLD CUP, Eiffel Tower and a phase of play (a player performing a sliding tackle)

The pattern pictures above are present on Romanian coins through the kind permission of an anonymous donor.

Mr Erwin Schäffer described this pattern as P-436 in his catalog [1], without listing a white metal variant. Three variants were described: gilded brass, coppered brass and a bimetalic one. Also here it is stated that the obverse was designed by engraver Vasile Gabor and the revers by Ştefan Ursachi.

In spite of this information in [1], inside the paper "Proiecte de monede şi medalii emise de Banca Naţională a României în anii 1997 - 1999” (Projects of coins and medals issued by National Bank of Romania in years 1997 - 1999) [2], published in 2002, Mr Ştefan Ursachi mentioned that he made six 6 drawings for the two faces of the coin dedicated to the France 1998 FIFA World Cup. The reverse of this pattern is not found between these six drawings.

Finally the NBR have chosen another design for the 100 lei 1998 coins issued with numismatic purpose.

References

1. Schäffer E., România. Proiecte, probe monetare şi catalogul probelor emise. Designs, pattern coins and catalogue of issued coins, 1990 - 2014. vol. II, Guttenbrunn, 2015.

2. Ursachi Ş., Proiecte de monede şi medalii emise de Banca Naţională a României în anii 1997 - 1999, Cercetări Numismatice VIII, 2002, p. 415...432.