Rare Bulgarian Coin Worth Nearly as Much as a One-Bedroom Flat in Sofia

Some of the rarest Bulgarian coins are now worth as much as property in Sofia. One of the most valuable examples — a two-stotinki coin from 1981 — can reach the price of a garage in the outskirts of the capital. The world of numismatics also preserves stories of dramatic events, including one of Bulgaria’s largest train robberies in 1916.

The chance of finding this coin at home is almost non-existent. It is the 2-stotinki coin from 1981, made rare by a minting error. Instead of the inscription “1300 Years of Bulgaria”, the series was struck with the wording “People’s Republic of Bulgaria”. Depending on its condition, its value can range between €12,000 and €15,000.

Kaloyan Borisov, a numismatist and coin dealer, explains:
“It was never released into circulation. During production, an old die with the inscription ‘People’s Republic of Bulgaria’ was used. Only a few examples exist and they are extremely rare. We believe there are no more than 20, though I personally know of even fewer.”

The absolute record holder is the 100-leva coin from 1894, often described by collectors as a “masterpiece”.

Ivan Danov, numismatist, said:
“It contains 32.26 grams of gold — a massive coin — minted in a series of 2,500.”

Kaloyan Borisov, numismatist and coin dealer:
“The highest transaction there was around €80,000 to €80,000-plus. At the beginning of last year there was also an auction for a 20-leva coin from 1894 which reached a similar level — just over 160,000 leva. There have also been private deals, not at auction, of up to €100,000. Once we go beyond €100,000, we are already entering the realm of theory.”

A silver two-leva coin from 1916 bearing the image of Ferdinand I of Bulgaria is also shrouded in mystery.

Ivan Danov, numismatist:
“According to older collectors, specifically regarding the two-leva coin, they claim that no more than five or six examples remain.”

One incident from 1916 has also gone down in history. While the 100-leva gold banknotes printed at the time in Austria-Hungary were being transported by train, one of the crates was stolen before reaching the Bulgarian National Bank. The shipment contained nearly 7,000 banknotes.

Ivan Danov, numismatist:
“The crates containing the money were being transported, and one of them simply disappeared — it held 100-leva gold banknotes. A banknote like this.”

Kaloyan Borisov, numismatist and dealer:
“Series D. As you know, banknotes have serial numbers and series. The Bulgarian National Bank later declared Series D invalid. The notes that remained, or those recovered after the robbery, were overprinted with a red Series A.”

Professionals also offer a piece of advice to collectors: whatever item they are offered, they should remain cautious and watch out for counterfeits — particularly modern forgeries, including those originating from China.