Catalog
50 Leva Srebro
| Issuer | Bulgarska Narodna Banka (Bulgarian National Bank) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1899 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 150 × 97 mm |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in green and consists of a large central guilloche oval vignette occupying most of the note's surface, within which the bold numeral 50 is rendered in large format with the word ЛЕВА inscribed repeatedly along the inner curve of the oval. The surrounding field is filled with fine lathe-work guilloche patterns, and a sawtooth-pattern border frames the entire composition. |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Bulgaria's early banking notes were printed in Saint Petersburg under a contract with the Imperial paper manufactory — a practical choice for a young state with no domestic printing capacity, but also a politically loaded one given Russian influence in the Balkans following the 1878 liberation. The 1899 series, of which this 50 Leva Srebro is part, carried a denomination tied to the silver standard at a time when Bulgaria was navigating the Latin Monetary Union and managing chronic budget pressures from post-liberation indemnities.
Kirkov's involvement as designer points to early efforts to keep at least the artistic direction of national currency within Bulgarian hands, even when the physical production remained abroad.