Bulgaria 1943-A 50 leva
This specimen was lot 73244 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2022), where it sold for $360. The catalog description[1] noted, "BULGARIA. 50 Leva, 1943-A. Boris III. NGC MS-64. A well struck and moderately toned coin, in near-Gem condition with sharp cartwheel luster." This denomination was previously struck in silver but wartime shortages forced its conversion to copper-nickel in 1940 (KM 48). The 1943 issue was done in nickel plated steel. Like many other wartime issues, dealer junk boxes are filled with worn or corroded examples but choice specimens are few. Bulgaria was on the losing side of World War Two and was forcibly converted to Communism by the Red Army.
Recorded mintage: 15,000,000, common.
Specification: 9.87 g, nickel-plated steel.
Catalog reference: KM-48a.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The February 2022 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancients & World Coins, Featuring Selections from the Kings Norton Mint Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
Link to: