Catalog
500 Leva Zlato
| Issuer | Bulgarian National Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1907 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Leva |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The central field of the reverse carries the Cyrillic denomination inscription "ПЕТСТОТИНЪ ЛЕВА" arranged within a wreath motif, set against a background of intricate guilloche underprint work. A forgery warning in Cyrillic text runs along the lower portion of the note, citing specific articles of the Bulgarian criminal code. The composition is typical of Goznak-produced notes of the era, with finely engraved geometric lathe-work filling the surrounding margins. |
| Reverse lettering | Петстотинъ Лева За подправка виновнитѣ се наказватъ съгласно §§ 183 и 191 отъ наказ. законъ. (Translation: Five Hundred Leva For forgery the guilty are punished according to Art. 183 and 191 of the criminal law) |
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| Comments |
The "Zlato" (gold) designation was not decorative — it indicated convertibility into gold coin at a fixed rate, a commitment the Bulgarian National Bank made under the gold standard framework adopted after the country's 1880s monetary reorganization. By 1907, Bulgaria was still a principality nominally under Ottoman suzerainty, a political awkwardness that sat uneasily alongside the ambition of issuing a high-denomination convertible note printed in Saint Petersburg.
Three known signature combinations across the series suggest a long active lifespan for the printing, with different governors and cashiers cycling through. The Goznak facility had supplied Bulgarian banknote production since the earliest issues — a practical arrangement given that Bulgaria lacked domestic security printing capacity well into the twentieth century.