The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) is pleased to announce the winners of the design contest for the Moldovan Leu symbol, organized on the occasion of the anniversary of the national currency of the Republic of Moldova, which was introduced into circulation on November 29, 1993.
Thus, after a rigorous evaluation of the submitted works, the jury selected three winning projects, created by Ilia Nichitov, Dmitri Voloşin and Sergiu Porombac.
The contest, held from November 29, 2023, to October 31, 2024, was open to professionals and students in fields such as of fine arts and design, graphic design, printing technologies, computer science, engineering and design, media design or other related specialties. In this regard, the competition offered young designers the opportunity to express their vision of the Moldovan Leu symbol, demonstrating conceptual and visual unity.
The evaluation committee consisted of representatives of the NBM, but also professionals outside the central bank, who made the selection based on the following criteria: the presentation of an original project that conveys a relevant message in line with the contest’s theme; the visually suggestive impact of the project; and the attractive technical execution.
"The contest was an opportunity to explore creative visions of the Moldovan Leu symbol, an exercise that reflects the participants' interest in our monetary identity. We appreciate the effort and dedication of all those who contributed, and the winning works are a testament to the artistic and conceptual potential of young designers from the Republic of Moldova. We congratulate the winners!" said Anca Dragu, Governor of the NBM, in her message to the contest participants.
The authors of the three winning designs will be awarded the commemorative and jubilee silver coin "Country Brand ‘Tree of Life’," issued by the NBM, while all participants will receive diplomas. The award ceremony will take place during a public event in December 2024.
The purpose of the contest is to foster civic pride in the Moldovan Leu among citizens and to encourage future specialists to contribute to the design of commemorative and jubilee coins issued annually by the National Bank of Moldova.

