Bulgarian coins
Bulgarian coinage: from antiquity to the euro era
Coins have been minted in the Bulgarian lands since deepest antiquity. Later, during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, coins by Ivan Asen II (the beginning of the 13th century) to Ivan Sracimir (in mid-14th century) are known. The Ottoman conquest put an end to Bulgarian minting for more than five centuries. Following the Liberation, Bulgaria faced a chaotic exchange situation, with a mosaic of foreign currencies circulating in local markets. The revived Bulgarian state had yet to devise a monetary system. Official accounts were kept in French francs, and due to the great gold-to-silver agio, remittances were in a variety of foreign silver coinage.
In 1879, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) was established, and in the following year, the Second Ordinary National Assembly passed the Minting Rights Act, granting the state exclusive rights to put coins into circulation. The Act also established the lev as the national currency, divided into a hundred stotinkas. Inspired by the Latin Monetary Union, copper, silver, and gold coins were adopted. The first Bulgarian coins were minted in England in 1881: copper coins of two, five, and ten stotinkas. Silver one and two lev coins followed in Russia in 1882, and Bulgaria’s first gold coins (10, 20, and 100 levs) were issued in 1894. The Coinage of the Principality Act of 1897 declared the golden lev as the unit of currency. Later, the Lev and Money Supply Stabilisation Act of 1928 introduced the gold exchange standard.
Over the years, Bulgarian coins were produced by renowned European mints: Russia, Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, Germany, and Yugoslavia. With the foundation of the Bulgarian Mint in 1952, minting returned to Bulgarian soil – first for exchange coinage, and since 1965, also for commemorative issues. Today, Bulgarian coins are struck in a range of metals and alloys – gold, silver, platinum, aluminium, copper/nickel, iron, and more – each reflecting the times in which they were minted and serving as a mirror of Bulgaria’s economic, cultural, and historical heritage.
1, 2, 5 Stotinki
1999 or 2000: The main motif on the obverse of the coin is the numeral of the denomination and the year of issue “1999”. At the bottom of the coin is the text “stotinka”. At the top, the 12 stars of the European Union are depicted around the periphery.
The reverse side of the coin depicts the Madara Horseman, a rock relief from the 8th century, in the centre and the text ‘Bulgaria’ in the upper part of the circumference.
10, 20, 50 Stotinki
1999: The main motif on the obverse of the coin is the numeral of the denomination and the year of issue “1999”. At the bottom of the coin is the text “stotinki”. At the top, the 12 stars of the European Union are depicted around the periphery.
The reverse side of the coin depicts the Madara Horseman, a rock relief from the 8th century, in the centre and the text ‘Bulgaria’ in the upper part of the circumference.
1 Lev
2002: On the side with the face value of the coin is the numeral “1”, the word “LEV”, the year of issue – 2002 and two graphic elements of crossed lines are depicted.
On the other side of the coin is the image of St. Ivan Rilski and the inscriptions “St. Ivan Rilski” and “St. Ivan Rilski”. Ivan Rilski” and “Bulgaria”.
2 Leva
2015: On the obverse, in the centre of the inner circle, the denomination is marked with the numeral ‘2’, scalloped with lines. On the periphery are graphic elements of crossed lines, both in the inner circle and on the outer ring. The text ‘LEVA’ is inscribed at the bottom of the coin. The letters start from the outer ring and enter the inner circle. The year of issue, ‘2015’, is located on the outer ring, to the right of the text ‘LEVA’.
On the reverse side of the coin in the inner circle is a stylized image of Paisii Hilendarski and the years “1722 – 1773”. On the outer ring – the texts “PAISI HILENDARSKI” and “BULGARIA”.
The Future: Bulgaria’s transition to the euro
As Bulgaria continues its European integration, the lev will soon give way to the euro as the country’s official currency, which will take effect starting January 1st 2026. While this marks a significant step forward, it also underscores the importance of preserving and celebrating Bulgaria’s numismatic heritage.
While embracing a new currency, Bulgaria’s numismatic legacy endures. Through the coins, we celebrate our cultural identity and continuity—even as we step forward into the euro era.
When Bulgaria adopts the euro on January 1, 2026, it will also add the Cyrillic script to the currency. With the changeover, Bulgarian euro coins will feature the words „БЪЛГАРИЯ“ and „евро“ in Cyrillic on every denomination. This ensures that, even as Bulgaria joins the eurozone, its language and identity will remain visible in the shared European currency.
