Obverse:

Portrait of Ion Luca Caragiale (1852-1912), Romanian playwright, author and short-story writer.

On the center: Violet flower (Viola sororia), a theatre mask and the Comedy mask, one of the theatre symbols.

On the upper part: Romanian Coat of Arms, name of the issuing central bank "BANCA NAŢIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI" and "BNR" medallion.

On the lower part: banknote denomination in figures and letters "1 000 000 lei UN MILION" and issue year "2003".

Under the flower, authorized signatures of the Governor, of the Chief Cashier. Placed under the portrait, on the right side, the writer's signature, in facsimile.

The value "UN MILION 1.000.000" is placed vertically, on the right.

Reverse:

Old building of the National Theatre in Bucharest.

On the left, statue of the playwright. On the right, the other theatre symbol, the Tragedy mask, in golden print.

On the upper part, denomination value "1000000" vertical and horizontal, the name of the central bank "BANCA NAŢIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI" and "BNR" logo.

On the lower part, on the right: denomination value in letters and figures "UN MILION lei 1 000 000"; left, "BNR" logo within a rectangle.

Under the statue, penalty text, placed horizontally: "FALSIFICAREA ACESTOR BILETE SE PEDEPSESTE CONFORM LEGII" (FORGERY IS PUNISHED ACCORDING TO THE LAW).

The series and numbers of the banknote printed in letters and figures with black and red ink, as follows: fonts of the same height printed vertically on the left side with black ink and fonts of ascending height on the right side with red ink.

• Intaglio (raised) printing which can be felt: on the obverse - portrait, the flower, Romanian Coat of Arms, NBR name, NBR medallion, nominal value, year of issue, authorized signatures; on the reverse - theatre building, the statue, nominal value, name of NBR, NBR logo, NBR logo within the rectangle.
• Transparent window: with embossed denomination value "1000000".
• Shadow image ("watermark"): portrait and "BNR" logo, above and aside the transparent window (when looking at the obverse). The shadow image is visible only when the banknote is held up against the light.
• Perfect register: Amphytheatre, visible when the banknote is held up against the light. Parts of the amphitheatre printed on the obverse beneath the name of the central bank match perfectly with the parts printed on the reverse and make up a complete image.
• Pearlescent feature on the obverse: the theatre mask and the Comedy mask. When the note is tilted, the pearlescent feature is visible.
• Micro perforation: on the obverse, overlapping the flower, "1.000.000" is visible when the note is held up to the light.
• Optical variable ink on the obverse: "lei UN MILION" changes colors from gold to green when the note is tilted.
• Micro lettering on the obverse and on the reverse: "BNR" within the denomination figures "1.000.000", visible using a magnifying glass.
• Golden patch on the reverse: the Tragedy mask.
• Latent image on the reverse: letters I, L, C under the arcades of the theatre appear when the note is tilted.