BGN – Bulgarian Lev
Monetary System
1881: 1 Bulgarian lev = 100 stotinki (singular: stotinka)
1952: 1 Bulgarian lev = 100 “old” levs
1962: 1 Bulgarian lev (BGL) = 10 “old” levs
05.07.1999: 1 Bulgarian lev (BGN) = 1,000 “old” levs (BGL)
2018 – 2020 Issues
The 100-lev note is the first denomination in a new series like the preceding issues, but with new security features, including a revised holographic stripe, improved watermark, and diagonal lines at left/right front as a tactile feature for the sight-impaired. Preceding issues will continue to circulate in parallel.
Description: 5.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 121 x 67 mm
Red and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; artist Ivan Milev; detail from Milev’s painting, Art and the Crown of Thorns; poster promoting Milev’s first 1925 exhibition in Sofia. Back: Bulgarian text; scenes from Milev’s paintings, A Woman Harvesting, The Bulgarian Madonna, and Wedding of the Dragon. Holographic stripe. Windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ 5. Watermark: Ivan Milev and electrotype БНБ. Printer: (BNBPW). 121 x 67 mm. Paper.
Description: 10.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 126 x 70 mm
Olive green, yellow, and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; educator Petar Beron; two globes; rhinoceros and whale from Beron’s Primer Containing Diverse Instructions, aka The Fish Primer. Back: Bulgarian text; telescope; map; ringed planet; phases of the moon; scientific equipment. Holographic stripe. Green-to-gold RollingStar Lead windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ 10. Watermark: Peter Beron and electrotype БНБ. Printer: (BNBPW). 126 x 70 mm. Paper.
Description: 20.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 131 x 73 mm
Blue, red, and yellow. Front: Bulgarian text; politician Stefan Stambolov; cover of Songs and Poems; poem To My Comrades; seal of the Edinstvo (Unity) Committee in Tarnovo. Back: Bulgarian text; motifs from Orlov Most (Eagle’s Bridge) and Lavov Most (Lion’s Bridge) in Sofia; National Assembly Building in Sofia; text by Stambolov; winged wheel with arrows. Holographic stripe. Green-to-blue RollingStar Lead windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ 20. Watermark: Stefan Stambolov and electrotype levs. Printer: (BNBPW). 131 x 73 mm. Paper.
Description: 50.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 136 x 76 mm
Brown, yellow, and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; poet Pencho Slaveikov; National Theatre and National Library buildings in Sofia; horse-drawn carriage; denomination in SPARK. Back: Bulgarian text; poet Mara Belcheva; illustrations from Slaveikov’s works, including a bird in flight, branch, and person, from A Song of Blood, Epic Songs, and Dream of Joy; manuscript pages. Holographic stripe. RollingStar Lead windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ 50. Watermark: Pencho Slaveikov. Printer: (BNBPW). 136 x 76 mm. Paper.
Description: 100.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 141 x 79 mm
Green. Front: Bulgarian text; Aleko Konstantinov; title page of “За Чикаго и обратно”(To Chicago and Back); invitation to establish Bulgarian Tourist Union; edelweiss flowers; five people walking past trees; denomination as registration device; denomination in SPARK. Back: Bulgarian text; items from Konstantinov’s life; letters, books, watch, document, “Uncle Ganyo” character. Holographic stripe. RollingStar Lead windowed security thread with demetalized БНБ 100. Watermark: Aleko Konstantinov and electrotype БНБ. Printer: (BNBPW). 141 x 79 mm. Paper.
This note was honored as the Best New Banknote at the High Security Printing EMEA Conference in Malta in April 2019.
2006 – 2009 Issues
These notes are like preceding issues, but with new holographic anti-copy stripes, new windowed security threads, added latent images, electrotype bank initials added to the watermarks, and additional bifluorescence. The 1- and 2-lev notes were replaced by coins in December 2015.
Description: 5.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 121 x 67 mm
Red and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; artist Ivan Milev; detail from Milev’s painting, Art and the Crown of Thorns; poster promoting Milev’s first 1925 exhibition in Sofia. Back: Bulgarian text; scenes from Milev’s paintings, A Woman Harvesting, The Bulgarian Madonna, and Wedding of the Dragon. Holographic stripe. Windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ 5. Watermark: Ivan Milev and electrotype БНБ. Printer: (BNBPW). 121 x 67 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Description: 10.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 126 x 70 mm
Olive green, yellow, and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; educator Petar Beron; two globes; rhinoceros and whale from Beron’s Primer Containing Diverse Instructions, aka The Fish Primer. Back: Bulgarian text; telescope; map; ringed planet; phases of the moon; scientific equipment. Holographic stripe. Windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ 10. Watermark: Peter Beron and electrotype БНБ. Printer: (BNBPW). 126 x 70 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Description: 20.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 131 x 73 mm
Blue, red, and yellow. Front: Bulgarian text; politician Stefan Stambolov; cover of Songs and Poems; poem To My Comrades; seal of the Edinstvo (Unity) Committee in Tarnovo. Back: Bulgarian text; motifs from Orlov Most (Eagle’s Bridge) and Lavov Most (Lion’s Bridge) in Sofia; National Assembly Building in Sofia; text by Stambolov; winged wheel with arrows. Holographic stripe. Windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ 20. Watermark: Stefan Stambolov and electrotype levs. Printer: (BNBPW). 131 x 73 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Description: 50.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 136 x 76 mm
Brown, yellow, and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; poet Pencho Slaveikov; National Theatre and National Library buildings in Sofia; horse-drawn carriage; building facade in OVI. Back: Bulgarian text; poet Mara Belcheva; illustrations from Slaveikov’s works, including a bird in flight, branch, and person, from A Song of Blood, Epic Songs, and Dream of Joy; manuscript pages. Holographic stripe. Solid security thread with demetalized БHБ 50. Watermark: Pencho Slaveikov. Printer: (BNBPW). 136 x 76 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
2005 Commemorative Issues
This 20-lev note was the first banknote to use Giesecke & Devrient’s varifeye, a wide security thread that incorporates a plastic-covered window in a paper substrate. 250,000 notes were issued 15 September 2005, to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the first Bulgarian banknote.
Description: 20.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 134 x 74 mm
Purple, blue, and pink. Front: Bulgarian text; architectural elements from the Bulgarian National Bank building in Sofia; statue of Saint Nikola; shields with vignettes from earlier banknote issues. Back: Bulgarian text; old Bulgarian National Bank building in Sofia; seated woman holding shield vignette from 1920 banknote issues; replica of 20-lev note of 1885; coat of arms. varifeye thread. Windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ20. Watermark: Rampant lion with electrotype БHБ. Printer: (Giesecke & Devrient). 134 x 74 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
1999 – 2005 Issues
On 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated at 1,000:1 with 1 “new” lev (BGN) equal to 1 German mark, and the currency no longer backed by gold and silver. The notes depict “great Bulgarian men whose lives and deeds have left enduring traces in the national heritage. What links these men is that most significant human virtue: love. Each of their lives embodies one of its myriad dimensions: Ivan of Rila’s love of God, Pagisios of Chiliandar’s compassion for his fellow Bulgars, Ivan Milev’s love of art, Petar Beron’s enthusiasm to enlighten Bulgarian youth, Stambolov’s ardour to strengthen Bulgarian sovereignty, Pencho Slaveykov’s chivalry for Bulgarian women.”
Prior to 1998, Bulgarian notes were printed in England, Germany, the Soviet Union, and United States of America. Since that time, notes have been printed at the Printing Works of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNBPW). The banknote workshop has not been profitable, and attempts to win contracts to print notes for other countries have not been successful. In 2011, BNBPW and François-Charles Oberthur in France began negotiations on a joint venture to fully utilize the former’s excess production capacity.
Description: 2.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 116 x 64 mm
Purple and red. Front: Bulgarian text; Pagisios of Chiliandar; Zografou Monastery on Mount Athos; Pagisios’ cell; monastic seal. Back: Bulgarian text; Zografou draft of the Historiae Sclavo-Bulgaricus; seals from four Bulgarian rulers; lion rampant; coat of arms. Holographic stripe. Solid security thread with demetalized БHБ. Watermark: Rampant lion. Printer: (BNBPW). 116 x 64 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Description: 5.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 121 x 67 mm
Red and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; artist Ivan Milev; detail from Milev’s painting, Art and the Crown of Thorns; poster promoting Milev’s first 1925 exhibition in Sofia. Back: Bulgarian text; scenes from Milev’s paintings, A Woman Harvesting, The Bulgarian Madonna, and Wedding of the Dragon. Holographic stripe. Solid security thread with demetalized БHБ 5. Watermark: Ivan Milev. Printer: (BNBPW). 121 x 67 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Description: 10.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 126 x 70 mm
Olive green, yellow, and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; educator Petar Beron; two globes; rhinoceros and whale from Beron’s Primer Containing Diverse Instructions, aka The Fish Primer. Back: Bulgarian text; telescope; map; ringed planet; phases of the moon; scientific equipment. Holographic stripe. Solid security thread with demetalized БHБ 10. Watermark: Petar Beron. Printer: (BNBPW). 126 x 70 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Description: 20.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 131 x 73 mm
Blue, red, and yellow. Front: Bulgarian text; politician Stefan Stambolov; cover of Songs and Poems; poem To My Comrades; seal of the Edinstvo (Unity) Committee in Tarnovo. Back: Bulgarian text; motifs from Orlov Most (Eagle’s Bridge) and Lavov Most (Lion’s Bridge) in Sofia; National Assembly Building in Sofia; text by Stambolov; winged wheel with arrows. Holographic stripe. Solid security thread with demetalized БHБ 20. Watermark: Stefan Stambolov. Printer: (BNBPW). 131 x 73 mm. Paper.
Description: 50.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 136 x 76 mm
Brown, yellow, and blue. Front: Bulgarian text; poet Pencho Slaveikov; National Theatre and National Library buildings in Sofia; horse-drawn carriage. Back: Bulgarian text; poet Mara Belcheva; illustrations from Slaveikov’s works, including a bird in flight, branch, and person, from A Song of Blood, Epic Songs, and Dream of Joy; manuscript pages. Holographic stripe. Solid security thread with demetalized БHБ 50. Watermark: Pencho Slaveikov. Printer: (BNBPW). 136 x 76 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Description: 100.00 BGN – Bulgarian Lev Size: 141 x 79 mm
Green, orange, red, and purple. Front: Bulgarian text; writer Aleko Konstantinov; portion of Konstantinov’s travel notes, A Journey to Chicago and Back; motifs of mountain hiking, including group of hikers and edelweiss flower. Back: Bulgarian text; items from Konstantinov’s life and work, including letters, flowers, manuscript, book, watch; “Uncle Ganyo” character. Holographic stripe. Windowed security thread with demetalized БHБ100. Watermark: Aleko Konstantinov and electrotype БHБ. Printer: (BNBPW). 141 x 79 mm. Paper.
Designed by Kiril Gogov.
Bulgarian National Bank
On 25 January 1879, the Russian emperor’s commissioner in Bulgaria, Knyaz Dondoukov-Korsakov, signed the draft Articles of Association for the foundation of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), which began operations on 6 June of the same year.
On 4 June 1880, the Second Ordinary National Assembly adopted the Minting Rights Act, which established the Bulgarian national monetary unit, the lev (archaic Bulgarian: lion), divisible into one hundred stotinki (derived from sto, the Bulgarian word for hundred), and equal to the French franc, in keeping with the specifications of the Latin Monetary Union (a 19th-century system that unified several European currencies into a single currency that could be used in all the member states). The law also adopted a bimetallic ratio between gold and silver of 1:15.5, in conformity with the LMU. Coins were minted in 1881, but it wasn’t until the passage of the Law on the Bulgarian National Bank of 1885 that the bank was granted the exclusive privilege to issue banknotes backed by no less than 1/3 of gold reserves.
For more information, visit www.bnb.bg.
