500 years to eternity of the Stephen III

500 years from passing to eternity of the king Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt (Stephen III of Moldavia or Stephen III).

Stephen III of Moldavia or Stephen III (c. 1432 - July 2, 1504), also known as Stephen the Great (Romanian: Ştefan cel Mare; Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt, "Stephen the Great and Holy" in more modern versions) was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of the House of Muşat.

During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the Ottoman Empire, which all sought to subdue the land. Stephen achieved fame in Europe for his long resistance against the Ottomans. He was victorious in 46 of his 48 battles, and was one of the first to gain a decisive victory over the Ottomans at the Battle of Vaslui, after which Pope Sixtus IV deemed him verus christianae fidei athleta (true Champion of Christian Faith). He was a man of religion and displayed his piety when he paid the debt of Mount Athos to the Porte, ensuring the continuity of Athos as an autonomous monastical community.

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 „100 LEI”; following the coin circumference– the inscription "REPUBLICA MOLDOVA" is engraved in block letters.
Reverse: 
on the central part-the effigy of Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt; on the left part-the image of a monastery and the inscription “500 de ani de la trecerea în eternitate”; on the upper part, following the coin circumference- the inscription “ŞTEFAN CEL MARE ŞI SFÂNT” is engraved in block letters; on the bottom part - the years “1504”, “2004”.
Country: 
Catalog ID: 
MD74CM1
Krause ID: 
KM #26
Value: 
€500
Mintage: 
300
Quality: 
Face value: 
Material: 
Purity: 
0.999
Weight: 
7.8g
Diameter: 
24mm
Year: 
Shape and style: 
Edge: 
Mint: 
Source of information: 
Source of information: