Catalog
50 Leva Srebro
| Issuer | Bulgarska Narodna Banka (Bulgarian National Bank) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1899 |
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| Currency | First lev (1881-1952) |
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| Obverse description | The Bulgarian state coat of arms is positioned in the upper left corner within a rectangular inset, framed by an ornate guilloche border running along all four edges of the note. The bank title БЪЛГАРСКА НАРОДНА БАНКА appears in bold letterpress across the top centre, with the denomination 50 ПЕТДЕСЕТЪ ЛЕВА flanked by numerals repeated on either side in the central field. The lower portion carries the issue date, place, and two manuscript signature lines above a warning text in a small panel. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | "БНБ" (BNB) watermark incorporated into the paper |
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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.