Abstract
Ion Vodă (John, named The Terrible), voivode of Moldavia (1572-1574), is known as a valiant anti-Ottoman fighter. He issued a cooper coin in 1573, which is one of the rarest Moldavian coins today. These pieces bear the effigy of the voivode crowned with a fur chapeau on the face, with the inscription „oteţ Moldovei” (the Slavonic equivalent of ancient formula „Pater Patriae”). The issue was meant, most probably, to support the small-value local transactions. Its emission was in no way linked to the “payment to the Cossack mercenaries” of 1574, as was previously believed. In what regards the weight of the copper coin, it is an intrinsic value equal to the one of the contemporary devalued Ottoman silver akçé (4 copper mangır to one silver or copper akçé, 120 silver akçé to one golden altun), to which system the coins of voivode John seems to be affiliated, by name and by weight.