Catalog
500 Leva Srebro
| Issuer | Българската Народна Банка (Bulgarian National Bank) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1903 |
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| Value | 500 Leva |
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| Obverse description | Vertical format note with an elaborate multicolour guilloche border in red, green, and cream tones framing the entire face. The numeral '500' appears in ornate rosette vignettes at the top and bottom of the note, with a large ghost underprint of '500' visible in the centre. The issuing authority's monogram 'Б.Н.Б.' is printed in large red letters above and below the central text block, which carries the bank's full name and the payment promise in Cyrillic script, followed by the denomination in bold letterpress and the signatures of the Governor and Cashier. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | За подправка виновнитѣ се наказватъ съгласно §§ 183 и 191 отъ наказ. законъ. Петстотинъ Лева (Translation: For forgery the guilty are punished according to §§ 183 and 191 of the criminal law. Five Hundred Leva) |
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| Comments |
Bulgaria's early banknotes were printed in Saint Petersburg under contract with the Imperial printing works — a pragmatic arrangement for a young state that lacked its own intaglio infrastructure. The 1903 series, of which this 500 Leva note is the highest denomination, was produced during a period of relative monetary stability following the turbulence of the 1890s currency crisis and Bulgaria's gradual alignment with the Latin Monetary Union standard.
The "Srebro" designation — silver — indicates this note was denominated in silver leva rather than gold, a distinction that carried real legal and commercial weight at the time of issue.