Balgarianovinite.com The Bulgarian National Bank stopped issuing lev-denominated commemorative coins and began issuing euro-denominated collector coins as Bulgaria joined the euro area, BNB said in a concept note published on its website on Thursday.
BNB will publish a list of lev issues from 1999-2025, separating them from its euro collector series starting in 2026.
The bank’s main goal is to ensure the sustainable development of numismatics in Bulgaria by combining national minting traditions with international experience and continuity between coins issued before and after the euro is introduced, while also ensuring the coins can be marketed on the domestic and international numismatic market.
Under the European legal framework, euro area countries may issue circulation, commemorative and collector coins, the document explains. Circulation coins (coins with a national side) are issued and put into circulation at face value. They come in eight denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro cents and EUR 1 and EUR 2, with each coin having a common European side and a distinctive national side.
Commemorative coins are issued only with a face value of EUR 2 and are dedicated to themes of major national or European importance. They may be issued up to twice a year, except where the design is common to all member states. Their mintage is limited to ensure commemorative coins make up only a small share of the total number of coins.
Collector coins are legal tender only in the issuing country, and their face value must differ from the denominations of circulation euro coins. This type of coin must also differ substantially from circulation coins in at least two of three parameters: colour, diameter and weight.
After January 1, 2026, BNB will continue to draw up a three-year programme for issuing collector euro coins. BNB’s coin programme will include coins with new technical parameters linked mainly to the change in face value and the currency unit from lev to euro.
The 2026 coin programme published on BNB’s website includes one gold, three silver and one copper collector coin for the new year. The gold coin, expected in October, will have a face value of EUR 100 and will be dedicated to St John of Rila. The silver coins will be dedicated to 125 Years of Electric Trams in Bulgaria, 150 Years Since the April Uprising, and the Transfiguration Monastery.
Their face value will be EUR 10 and they are expected in January, April and August, respectively. The copper coin, with a face value of EUR 5, will be dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Krastyo Sarafov and is expected in March.
From 2026, BNB will have the right to issue up to two commemorative coins a year with a face value of EUR 2, which must go through a preliminary consultation procedure with the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB) at least six months before they are issued. In this context, BNB’s 2026 coin programme provides for issuing a commemorative coin, Bulgarian Alphabet, with a face value of EUR 2 in the second half of 2026.
As of Thursday, BNB stopped issuing the gold commemorative coin Holy Mother of God – Golden Apple with no set mintage. BNB explained the decision with reduced interest among collectors due to the lack of a limited mintage and the coin’s high price. It also said that issuing coins without a limited mintage runs counter to a 2012 EU regulation under which collector coin issues are included in the overall quantity of coins approved by the ECB. Central Bank Ends Lev Commemoratives, Launches Euro Collector Coins 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-01 17:57:07 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
