5000 Leva

Bulgaria's 1997 hyperinflationary collapse was among the worst in post-communist Europe — monthly inflation peaked above 240% in February of that year, and the lev lost so much value so fast that denominations like this 5,000 became functionally small change within weeks of issue. The crisis ended only after a currency board arrangement was imposed in July 1997, which pegged the lev to the Deutsche Mark and later the euro.

Giesecke & Devrient printed this note from their Leipzig facility, the same plant that had operated continuously through the GDR period under state direction before returning to G&D control after reunification.