Bulgaria 1995 1000 leva KM-217
This specimen was lot 72571 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $240. The catalog description[1] noted, "BULGARIA. 1000 Leva, 1995. Sofia Mint. NGC PROOF-68 Ultra Cameo. Extremely high grade example with deeply mirrored fields and frosty devices." Wikipedia comments,
"Rozhen Observatory (Bulgarian: Национална астрономическа обсерватория - Рожен, НАО-Рожен; English: National Astronomical Observatory - Rozhen, NAO-Rozhen), also known as the Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory, is...located in the Smolyan Province, 90 kilometers south of the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It was officially opened on 13 March 1981."
This NCLT was struck after the fall of communism but before the currency was reformed (1000 old leva = 1 new lev). Other issues of this denomination in 1995 included KM 214, 215, 216.
Recorded mintage: 32,796.
Specification: 33.62 g, 0.925 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-217.
- 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, February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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