Bulgaria 1997 1000 leva KM-232

Stack's Bowers 2021 ANA sale, lot 44133

photo courtesy Stack's Bowers LLC

This specimen was lot 44133 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $240. The catalog description^[1] noted, "BULGARIA. 1000 Leva, 1997. Sofia Mint. NGC PROOF-68 Ultra Cameo. UNICEF theme. An attractive Proof with hard mirrored fields and frosted cameo devices." The Communist regime, beset by corruption and an aging leadership, was swept away with the collapse of all the Eastern Bloc regimes in 1989-90. This NCLT was issued by the post-communist government and was accompanied by KM 133, which honored the World Cup of soccer.

Recorded mintage: 6,001 proofs.

Specification: 23.33 g, 0.925 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM-232.

Source:

• 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, The August 2021 ANA sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.

Link to:

• 1996 500 leva, 100th Anniversary of the National Art Academy
• 1996 1000 leva, sailing ship Kaliakra
• 1996 1000 leva, St. Ivan of Rila
• 1998 5000 leva, the Euro
• 1998 20,000 leva, Tsar Ivan Alexander
• 2000 10 leva, the new Millennium
• Coins and currency dated 1997