| Stotinka | |
|---|---|
| |
| 2000 coin | |
| General information | |
| Country |
|
| Value |
0.01 lev |
| Years |
1901–2002 |
| Measurements and composition | |
| Mass |
|
| Diameter |
|
| Thickness |
|
| Composition |
|
| Appearance | |
| Shape |
round |
| Alignment |
|
| Edge |
|
| Obverse |
See text |
| Reverse |
See text |
| v · d · e | |
The 1 stotinka coin is a circulation piece of Bulgaria. It has been issued in eight types since 1901: two under the Principality and Kingdom of Bulgaria, four under the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and two under the current Republic of Bulgaria. Each of the coins was distributed by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) and, excluding the first three types, struck exclusively at the Bulgarian Mint in Sofia.
The first coin of the denomination was introduced by the Principality of Bulgaria in 1901, during the reign of Prince Ferdinand I (1861–1948; r. 1887–1908). A slightly modified second type was then issued by the Kingdom of Bulgaria in 1912, during Ferdinand I's rule as Tsar (r. 1908–1918). Prior to their eventual demonetization, these first two types carried a legal tender face value of 0.01 lev in their country of origin.
The second lev was established in 1952, during the existence of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. A single 1 stotinka coin (dated 1951) was made for this currency. It remained valid for 0.01 lev until its withdrawal and demonetization in 1962.
With the introduction of the third lev in 1962, a new 1 stotinka piece was released by the People's Republic of Bulgaria. It was minted again in 1970, and eventually replaced in 1974 by a new type, which was produced intermittently until 1990. A commemorative piece celebrating the 1300th anniversary of Bulgaria was also introduced during this period in 1981. All three circulated for a value of 0.01 lev until late 1995.
Two 1 stotinka pieces have been released under the current fourth lev, which was established in 1999 by the Republic of Bulgaria. The first was issued in 1999, while the second was minted for circulation in 2000 and exclusively for proof sets in 2002. Although these pieces currently hold a legal tender face value of 0.01 lev, they no longer circulate frequently due to their low purchasing power.
Coins[]
Coins of the first lev (1901–1912)[]
After fighting with Russia against the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, Bulgaria was reestablished as an independent state on March 3, 1878. However, although independent, the newly formed nation remained a de jure vassal of the Ottoman Empire until October 5, 1908, when it declared independence as the Kingdom of Bulgaria. From then, the country functioned as a constitutional monarchy ruled by a tsar (king) until the communist takeover in 1946.
In June 1880, the Second National Assembly passed legislation calling for the creation of a new national currency, the Bulgarian lev. This currency was initially equivalent in value to the French franc, and per a unilateral agreement, followed the standards of the Latin Monetary Union (LMU). The first coin series of the lev, consisting of denominations of 2, 5, and 10 stotinki, was released in 1881, and was later followed by 2½, 20, and 50 stotinka and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 100 lev pieces over the remainder of the 19th century. In 1901, during the reign of Prince Ferdinand I, the first 1 stotinka piece was introduced, along with a new 2 stotinka coin of a similar design. Both were designed by Alfred Borrel (1836–1927), a prominent French sculptor of the time. The 1 stotinka coin was initially struck at the Monnaie de Paris in France, and then produced again at the Hungarian State Mint in Körmöcbánya (now Kremnica, Slovakia) in 1912. It was demonetized sometime before the introduction of the second lev in 1952.
The piece is composed of a bronze alloy and measures 1 gram in mass and 15 millimeters in diameter. It has coin alignment and a plain edge, and like most coins, is round in shape. Both of the piece's rims are raised and decorated with a dentilated border.
A simplified version of the coat of arms of the Principality and Kingdom of Bulgaria appears inside a circular beaded border in the center of the obverse. Such an illustration, officially adopted in 1887, features a central escutcheon containing a crowned lion rampant and surmounted by the Royal Crown of Bulgaria. Printed clockwise along the rim above, between the beaded border and the coin's rim, is the Bulgarian name of Bulgaria, "БЪЛГАРИЯ" (Romanized: Bǎlgariya). The national motto of Bulgaria, "СЪЕДИНЕНИЕТО ПРАВИ СИЛАТА" (Romanized: Sǎedinenieto pravi silata), which translates as "Unity makes strength", is inscribed in the opposite direction from the coin's upper left to upper right peripheries. It is separated from the national name by two six-pointed stars, one at each side of the obverse.
The face value "1 СТОТИНКА" (Romanized: 1 Stotinka) is engraved on two separate lines in the middle of the reverse, the numeral rendered in significantly larger print than the following word. Written below "СТОТИНКА" (stotinka) in a similarly sized font is the Gregorian date of minting, either "1901" or "1912". On coins struck in 1901, the date is flanked to the left by the cornucopia mint mark of the Monnaie de Paris and to the right by the torch privy mark of Henri-Auguste Patey (1855–1930), the Graveur général des monnaies of Paris at the time. The "A.BORREL" signature of the engraver also appears on the reverse of 1901 pieces, curved in a counterclockwise direction below the date of minting. A decorative wreath consisting of a tied laurel branch, flowers, and ears of wheat partially surrounds the aforementioned design elements. The laurel branch extends along the left periphery, the wheat travels along the right, and the flowers appear at the lower rim.
A total of 40,000,000 examples of the coin were manufactured, 20,000,000 for both years of production. Only business strikes of this first stotinka piece are known to exist.
Coin of the second lev (1951)[]
1951 coin
On September 9, 1944, during the second half of World War II (1939–1945), members of the Fatherland Front, a Bulgarian antifascist resistance movement, staged a successful coup against Bulgaria's pro-Axis military dictatorship. Under the new government, the Bulgarian Workers' Party (later the Bulgarian Communist Party) rose to power, eventually leading to the abolition of the monarchy and establishment of the People's Republic of Bulgaria on September 15, 1946. From then, the country remained a communist state until 1989, and was renamed to the "Republic of Bulgaria" on November 15, 1990.
After World War II ended in 1945, coins and banknotes issued by the monarchy continued to circulate in Bulgaria. However, as prolonged inflation continued to erode the purchasing power of the first lev, the need for monetary reform in Bulgaria became apparent. In response, the Bulgarian government introduced the second lev on May 10, 1952, which replaced the old currency at a rate of 100 to 1.
The first coins of the new lev, consisting of denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, and 25 stotinki, were released into circulation on May 12, 1952. They were then followed by a 20 stotinka piece on August 28; a 50 stotinka coin on April 15, 1959; and a 1 lev piece on January 1, 1960. The 1 stotinka piece of the series was struck jointly at the Leningrad Mint in the Soviet Union and Bulgarian Mint in Sofia in 1951. It was eventually demonetized on January 1, 1962, after the introduction of the third lev.
The 1 stotinka piece is composed of a brass alloy and measures 1 gram in mass, 15 millimeters in diameter, and 0.85 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a reeded edge, and is round in shape. Both of the coin's rims are raised and undecorated.
A depiction of the third emblem of the People's Republic of Bulgaria is illustrated inside a solid circular boundary in the middle of the obverse. Such an image features a lion rampant and gear surrounded by ears of wheat. A ribbon bearing the date "9 XI 1944" binds the wheat and a red star symbolizing communism appears above the entire emblem. Printed outside the border containing the emblem is the Bulgarian name of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, "НАРОДНА РЕПУБЛИКА БЪЛГАРИЯ" (Romanized: Narodna republika Bǎlgariya). The first two words are written clockwise along the rim above the emblem, whereas the final word is engraved in the opposite direction at the periphery below.
An illustration of a wheat stem appears at the left side of the reverse. Written on two lines to the right is the face value "1 СТОТИНКА" (Romanized: 1 Stotinka), the numeral rendered in significantly larger print than the following word. The Gregorian date of minting, "1951", appears on its own line below the value.
The total mintage of the 1951 stotinka is currently unknown. Only business strikes and two trial strikes stamped with the word "ОБРАЗЕЦ" (Romanized: obrazec), meaning "model" or "pattern", are known to exist.
Coins of the third lev (1962–1990)[]
General circulation coins (1962–1990)[]
In response to rising inflation in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian National Bank redenominated the lev at a rate of 10 to 1 on January 1, 1962. On the same date, the first series of coins for the new currency, consisting of denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 stotinki and 1 lev, was released into circulation. Each of the pieces was manufactured at the Bulgarian Mint in Sofia. The 1 stotinka coin was later struck again in 1970 with minor stylistic changes on the obverse, while the remaining six pieces were solely minted in 1962. Both 1 stotinka coins remained in circulation until their demonetization on December 31, 1995.
A new series of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 stotinka and 1 lev coins was introduced in 1974 and produced irregularly until 1990. Each piece was struck at the Bulgarian Mint in Sofia. The 1 stotinka coin was initially released on June 1, 1974, and circulated until its demonetization on December 31, 1995.
The 1 stotinka pieces of the third lev are composed of a brass alloy and measure 1 gram in mass, 15 millimeters in diameter, and 0.85 millimeters in thickness. They have medallic alignment and are round in shape. Coins manufactured in 1962 and 1970 have reeded edges, while those minted from 1974 to 1990 have either a reeded or security edge. The rims of both sides of each type are raised and decorated with a beaded border.
The emblem of the People's Republic of Bulgaria is illustrated inside a solid circular border in the center of the obverse. The 1962 piece incorporates the third emblem introduced in 1946, while the 1970 coin uses the fourth emblem adopted in 1967, which is similar to the 1946 symbol but features a less stylized lion in the center and the Bulgarian tricolor on the ends of the ribbon. Examples minted from 1974 to 1990 instead use the fifth emblem introduced in 1971, which resembles the fourth but includes the dates "681" and "1944" on the ribbon instead of "9 XI 1944". Written outside the border containing the emblem is the Bulgarian name of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, "НАРОДНА РЕПУБЛИКА БЪЛГАРИЯ" (Romanized: Narodna republika Bǎlgariya). The first two words are inscribed clockwise along the rim above the emblem, whereas the final word is engraved in the opposite direction at the periphery below. Both parts of the legend are separated by two five-pointed stars, one at each side of the obverse.
The face value "1 СТОТИНКА" (Romanized: 1 Stotinka) appears on two lines in the middle of the reverse, the numeral rendered in a significantly larger font than the following word. The Gregorian date of minting is inscribed counterclockwise in large print along the rim below, and two ears of wheat are engraved along the coin's left and right peripheries, flanking the value on both sides.
The total mintage of each 1 stotinka type of the third lev is currently unknown. Aside from 2,000 Brilliant Uncirculated coins dated 1962 and 4,000 proofs minted in 1979 and 1980 (2,000 for each year), only business strikes are known to exist. The special Brilliant Uncirculated and proof coins were sold exclusively in mint and proof sets by the Bulgarian National Bank. According to the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the Brilliant Uncirculated pieces were reportedly marketed after 2000, indicating they are either restrikes or leftovers from 1962.
| Mintages | |
|---|---|
| Year | Mintage |
| First series | |
| 1962 | Unknown |
| 1970 | Unknown |
| Second series | |
| 1974 | Unknown |
| 1979 Proof | 2,000 |
| 1980 Proof | 2,000 |
| 1981 | 137 |
| 1988 | Unknown |
| 1989 | Unknown |
| 1990 | Unknown |
Circulating commemorative coin (1981)[]
1981 commemorative coin
After a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Bulgars, in 681 the Byzantines were compelled to sign a peace treaty recognizing the sovereignty of Bulgaria. This event is considered one of the most significant in Bulgarian history, as it directly led to the creation of the First Bulgarian Empire, the first unified Bulgarian state in the Balkans. In addition, the origins of modern Bulgarians date to the era of the First Empire, when the Turkic Bulgars gradually assimilated with local Slavs. For these reasons, even though the modern Bulgarian state was not created until 1878, 681 is regarded as the traditional date of nation's establishment.
In 1981, in celebration of the 1300th anniversary of Bulgaria's founding, the Bulgarian National Bank issued a series of circulating commemorative 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 stotinka and 1 and 5 lev coins. Collectors' pieces in denominations of 2, 25, and 100 leva were also introduced but not released into circulation. All of the coins were struck at the Bulgarian Mint in Sofia. The 1 stotinka piece of the series was released on January 1, 1981, and remained in circulation until its demonetization on December 31, 1995.
The coin is composed of brass and measures 1 gram in mass, 15 millimeters in diameter, and 0.85 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a reeded edge, and is round in shape. Both of its rims are raised and decorated with a beaded border.
The fifth emblem of the People's Republic of Bulgaria appears inside a solid circular boundary in the center of the obverse. Printed clockwise from the coin's left to right peripheries, between the boundary and the coin's rim, is the Bulgarian inscription "ХИЛЯДА И ТРИСТА ГОДИНИ" (Romanized: Hiljáda i trista godíni), which translates to English as "one thousand three hundred years". The Bulgarian name of Bulgaria, "БЪЛГАРИЯ" (Romanized: Bǎlgariya), is engraved in the opposite direction at the piece's lower boundary, separated from the aforementioned inscription by two five-pointed stars, one at each side of the obverse.
The face value "1 СТОТИНКА" (Romanized: 1 Stotinka) appears on two lines in the middle of the reverse, the numeral rendered in a significantly larger font than the following word. The Gregorian date of minting is inscribed counterclockwise in large print along the rim below, and two ears of wheat are engraved along the coin's left and right peripheries, flanking the value on both sides.
The total mintage of the 1981 commemorative is currently unknown. According to the Standard Catalog of World Coins, business strikes and proofs of this type exist.
Coins of the fourth lev (1999–2002)[]
The People's Republic of Bulgaria was one of the several communist nations affected by the Revolutions of 1989. Facing civil resistance from groups opposed to Bulgaria's one-party rule, the Bulgarian Communist Party announced on December 11, 1989, that it would abandon its monopoly on power and that multiparty elections would be held the following year. The People's Republic was officially disestablished on November 15, 1990, by the newly elected Seventh Grand National Assembly, and the current Republic of Bulgaria was formed.
After the fall of communism in Bulgaria, the nation experienced periods of high inflation from 1990 to 1991 and 1996 to 1997. As a result, the purchasing power of the lev continued to fall during the 1990s, causing low denomination coins and banknotes to virtually disappear from circulation. In response to this problem, the Bulgarian National Bank redenominated the lev at a rate of 1,000 to 1 on July 5, 1999. The first series of coins for the new currency, consisting of denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 stotinki, was released into circulation on that date. These pieces were eventually followed in 2002 by a new 1 lev coin as well. All seven coins were struck at the Bulgarian Mint in Sofia.
The lower valued 1, 2, and 5 stotinka coins were minted again in 2000 and 2002, but in a different metal than in 1999. Each of these pieces was also struck at the Bulgarian Mint.
The 1 stotinka coin was minted in aluminum-bronze in 1999 and brass-plated steel in 2000 and 2002. Both varieties of the piece measure 1.8 grams in mass, 16 millimeters in diameter, and 1.4 millimeters in thickness. They have medallic alignment and a plain edge, and are round in shape. Both sides of each metal variety are raised and undecorated.
The coin was designed by Bulgarian artists Petar Stoykov and Vladimir Yosifov. Displayed in the middle of the obverse is an illustration of the Madara Rider, a large rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau near Shumen. Such a monument, often dated to the reign of Khan Tervel (675–721; r. 700–721), features a horse rider impaling a lion underfoot with a spear. In the actual carving, a dog is also portrayed running behind the rider, but this detail is omitted on the coin. Printed clockwise along the rim above the Madara Rider is the Bulgarian name of Bulgaria, "БЪЛГАРИЯ" (Romanized: Bǎlgariya).
The face value "1 СТОТИНКА" (Romanized: 1 Stotinka) appears on the reverse, the numeral featured in a large font in the center of the coin and the word inscribed counterclockwise at the periphery below. The Gregorian date of minting is displayed between the number and word in the value, and twelve five-pointed stars are engraved above and to the sides of the "1" at the coin's upper rim.
A total of 1,277,500 aluminum-bronze and 1,287,500 brass-plated coins were manufactured. Most examples of the first type are business strikes, although a small number of Brilliant Uncirculated pieces are known to exist. This is reflected with the second type as well, as around 1,277,500 business strikes and 10,000 proofs were reportedly produced. The Brilliant Uncirculated and proof coins were distributed in official sets by the Bulgarian National Bank.
| Mintages | |
|---|---|
| Year | Mintage |
| Aluminum-bronze | |
| 1999 | 1,277,500 |
| Brass-plated steel | |
| 2000 | 1,277,500 |
| 2002 | 10,000 |
| Total | 1,287,500 |
References[]
Template:Bulgarian lev