Metropolitan Dosoftei - 380th Anniversary

Dimitrie Barilă, better known under his monastical name Dosoftei (October 26, 1624—December 13, 1693), was a Moldavian Metropolitan, scholar, poet and translator.

Born in Suceava, he attended the school of the "Trei Ierarhi" Monastery of Iaşi and then at the Orthodox Brotherhood school in Lviv, where he studied humanities and learned several languages.

In 1648 he became a monk at Probota Monastery, and was later bishop of Huşi (1658-1660) and Roman (1660-1671) to become Metropolitan bishop of Moldavia (1671-1674 and again 1675-1686). In 1686 he moved to Poland where he stayed for the rest of his life.

He was one of the most important ethnic Romanian scholars of the 17th century, the very first important Romanian language poet and the first translator into Romanian of epics, works on history, as well as religious scriptures Moldavia had. His most famous work is the Romanian psalter in verse.

The Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized Dosoftei in July 2005, a fact that was proclaimed on October 14, 2005. His feast day is December 13.

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 „2004”; 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 Metropolitan Dosoftei, holding a staff in the left hand , but in the right one a cross; on the upper part, following the coin circumference- the inscription „MITROPOLITUL DOSOFTEI” is engraved in block letters; on the bottom part-the years „1624-1693”.
Country: 
Catalog ID: 
MD76CM1
Krause ID: 
KM #23
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: