Miron Costin 370th Anniversary

Miron Costin (March 30, 1633 - 1691, Roman) was a Moldavian political figure and chronicler. His main work, Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei [de la Aron Vodă încoace] (The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia [from the rule of Aron Vodă]) was meant to extend Grigore Ureche's narrative, covering events from 1594 to 1660. The Chronicles were first published in 1675.

He also wrote Istoria în versuri polone despre Ţara Moldovei şi Munteniei (Polish verse history of Moldavia and Wallachia), also known under the title Poema polonă (The Polish poem).

Miron Costin was born as the son of a rich Moldavian boyar (Ion or Iancu). He spent his earliest years in Poland, where his family had taken refuge from Ottoman violence in Moldavia. His father had become a Polish magnate, which gave Miron the right to study at the Jesuit College in Bar, then at Kamienec Podolski.

He returned to Moldavia in 1653, and became a trainee of the country's treasury. Valued by the administration, he rose quickly, becoming Vornic in 1669 (i.e.: overseer of the Court, with several political responsibilities both inside the state and abroad).

In 1691 his relation with Prince Constantin Cantemir deteriorated. He and his brother (Hatman Velicico) were believed to have tried to usurp the throne in Iaşi: both were executed.

Image copyright: The National Bank of Moldova www.bnm.md
Obverse: 
on the central part – the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Moldova; on the upper part - figure „2003”; on the bottom part -the inscription „50 LEI”; following the coin circumference– the inscription "REPUBLICA MOLDOVA" is engraved in block letters.
Reverse: 
on the central part -the effigy of Miron Costin; on the right part- four books, an inkpot with a feather and a sheet of paper; on the left part-the years "1633 “ , “1691" ; on the bottom part , following the coin circumference- the inscription "MIRON COSTIN" is engraved in block letters.
Country: 
Catalog ID: 
MD69CM1
Krause ID: 
KM #14
Value: 
€60
Mintage: 
500
Quality: 
Face value: 
Material: 
Purity: 
0.925
Weight: 
16.5g
Diameter: 
30mm
Year: 
Shape and style: 
Edge: 
Mint: 
Source of information: 
Source of information: