PRE-ORDER Anniversaries - Banca Națională A României

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The emblematic institution of the country, Banca Națională a României, celebrates 145 years since its establishment, adding this event, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mihail Oromolu, one of the institution’s prominent governors (1922-1926). The philatelic issue entitled Anniversaries. Banca Națională a României, consisting of two postage stamps, a imperforated souvenir sheet and a First Day Cover, will be introduced into circulation by Romfilatelia on Tuesday, June 10th this year.

All elements of the issue illustrate the anniversary events in a unified concept. The two postage stamps reproduce two portrait photographs of Mihail Oromolu associated with the architecture of the Oromolu manor house in Păușești – Vâlcea, (the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 6.50) and with the architecture of the National Bank Palace in Bucharest (the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 14). The imperforated souvenir sheet, whose stamp has the face value of Lei 30, depicts the portrait of Mihail Oromolu kept in the heritage of the National Museum of Art of Romania, painted by Eustațiu Stoenescu. The interior architectural elements of the BNR Palace and the BNR emblem with the years 1880-2025 illustrate the 145th anniversary of the institution’s establishment. The graphics on the First Day Cover also reproduce the portrait of Mihail Oromolu, the seventh governor of the BNR, together with the ‘first day’ stamp, which also bears the years 1880-2025 to mark the 145th anniversary of the establishment of the BNR.

Mihail Oromolu was born on February 16th, 1875, in Râmnicu Vâlcea, and is listed in the family tree of the Slăvitești boyars of Vâlcea, as well as the founder of the Banca Națională a României, Eugeniu Carada. In the simplest terms, Mihail Oromolu was nephew from a first cousin of Eugeniu Carada.

After graduating from the ‘Sfântul Sava’ National High School in Bucharest, Mihail Oromolu continued his studies in Paris (where he obtained a law degree) and then in Munich, where he took courses in literature and philosophy. Upon returning to Romania, he became involved in politics, first as a member of the Conservative Party, becoming a member of parliament and senator (from 1914), and later a member of the Conservative-Democratic Party, led by Take Ionescu (1918), holding the positions of Minister of Industry and Trade and Governor of the Banca Națională a României (January 1st, 1922 – December 31st, 1926).

As Governor, Mihail Oromolu worked to consolidate and modernise the Banca Națională a României, succeeding, among other relevant measures, to complete several projects of major importance, among which we mention: recovering the gold deposit held by Banca Națională a României at the Reichsbank (1922), completing the liquidation of the Austro-Hungarian Bank, concluding the Convention for the liquidation of the state’s debts to the Central Bank (1925) and registering the state as a shareholder in Banca Națională a României with one third of the capital (June 1925).

Alongside Nicolae Titulescu, Take Ionescu and Octavian Goga, he was an active supporter of the achievement of national unity, and together with Nicolae Iorga, he signed the memorandum requesting the support of the Romanian Government and Parliament for the defence of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina against Soviet aggression (June 1940).

After retiring from political life, Mihail Oromolu held several positions: member of Credit Industrial, member of the Board of Directors of the Italo-Romanian Bank, member of the Higher Council of Agriculture, and vice-president of the Romanian Royal Aeroclub.

A protector of culture, he sponsored the construction of the Romanian Academy and contributed to the establishment of the Scrisul Românesc publishing house in Craiova (1922), financing the publication of several novels.

Among Mihail Oromolu’s works are „Fundamentul moral al proprietății” (1899) (in English: ‘The Moral Foundation of Property’) and „Problema monetară și stabilizarea” (1928) (in English: ‘The Monetary Problem and Stabilisation’).

As a sign of appreciation, he was awarded the Legion of Honour in the rank of Commander and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Romania.

Mihail Oromolu has linked his name to the construction of two iconic buildings that are part of the national heritage in the field of architectural monuments: the Palace of BNR Officials (now the Triumf Hotel) in Bucharest and the Accademia di Romania, located in one of the most exclusive areas of Rome. The buildings were based on a special collaborative relationship with architect Petre Antonescu, and both properties were transferred by the Banca Națională a României to the Romanian state.

Architect Petre Antonescu, member of the Romanian Academy, designed buildings that have given Romanian cities their identity: the Arch of Triumph, Bucharest City Hall, the Casino in Sinaia, Marmorosch Bank in Bucharest (now the Marmorosch Hotel), the Navigation Palace in Galați, and the Administrative Palace in Craiova. In addition to public architecture, Petre Antonescu also distinguished himself in private architecture, as evidenced by two buildings: the residence of Governor Mihail Oromolu in Păușești (Vâlcea County) and his villa in Bucharest, located near the Government headquarters in Bucharest.

Happy Anniversary, Banca Națională a României!

By accessing the QR code on the minisheets of stamps, you will discover the story of the issue Anniversaries. Banca Națională a României.