Bulgaria 1996 1000 leva KM-222
This specimen was lot 72572 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $336. The catalog description[1] noted, "BULGARIA. 1000 Leva, 1996. Sofia Mint. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo. Nearly perfect example with deeply mirrored fields and frosty devices." Wikipedia comments,
"Saint John of Rila, a.k.a. Ivan of Rila (Bulgarian: Свети преподобни Йоан Рилски Чудотворец, Svеti prеpodobni Yoan Rilski Chudotvorеts; English: Saint (monk) John of Rila the Wondermaker) (876 – c. 946) was the first Bulgarian hermit. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. The legend surrounding him tells of wild animals that freely came up to him and birds that landed in his hands. His followers founded many churches in his honor, including the famous Rila Monastery. One of these churches, Saint John of Rila was only discovered in 2008 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo. Today, he is honored as the patron saint of the Bulgarians and as one of the most important saints in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church."
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 1996 included KM 220 and KM 221.
Recorded mintage: 42,445.
Specification: 33.62 g, 0.925 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-222.
- 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.
Link to: