Bulgaria 1917 20 stotinki
This specimen was lot 74540 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, October 2024), where it sold for $65. The catalog description[1] noted, "BULGARIA. Zinc 20 Stotinki, 1917. Ferdinand I. NGC MS-62. Fairly dark in color, as typical for this zinc issue, but a survivor of the heavy corrosion often encountered." Bulgaria entered World War One in 1915 on the side of the Central Powers and swiftly conquered enough of Serbia and Romania to satisfy the greed of its politicians. Unfortunately, the war dragged on and by 1917 was stalemated. In September 1918, a fresh Allied offensive cracked the Bulgarian army and the tsar was forced to sue for peace and surrender all of Bulgaria's gains. This zinc coin symbolizes the stress the war put on the Bulgarian economy.
Recorded mintage: 40,000,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 4.05 g, zinc, 21.2 mm diameter, plain edge.
Catalog reference: KM-26a.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, October 2024 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the S.P. Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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