Bulgaria 2000 10 leva KM-252

Stack's Bowers February 2023 Collector's Choice sale, lot 72574

This specimen was lot 72574 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $360. The catalog description^[1] noted, "BULGARIA. 10 Leva, 2000. Sofia Mint. NGC PROOF-68 Ultra Cameo. Attractive rendering of the Church of the Pantokrator in Nessebar with deeply mirrored fields and frosty devices." Wikipedia comments,

"The Church of Christ Pantocrator (Bulgarian: църква „Христос Пантократор“, tsarkva „Hristos Pantokrator“ or църква „Христос Вседържател“, tsarkva „Hristos Vsedarzhatel“, Byzantine Greek: Ναός Χριστού Παντοκράτωρος) is a medieval Eastern Orthodox church in the eastern Bulgarian town of Nesebar (medieval Mesembria), on the Black Sea coast of Burgas Province. Part of the Ancient Nesebar UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Church of Christ Pantocrator was constructed in the 13th–14th century and is best known for its lavish exterior decoration."

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. Perhaps as a reaction to humorless Stalinist design featuring smokestacks and tractors, a burst of NCLT's appeared, some rather frivolous, including one celebrating the arrival of the Millennium (KM 244). This NCLT was struck after the currency was reformed (1000 old leva = 1 new lev). Other issues of this denomination in 2000 included KM 251 and KM 253.

Recorded mintage: 20,000.

Specification: 23.33 g, 0.925 fine silver, 38.5 mm diameter, plain edge.

Catalog reference: KM-252.

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, February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.

Link to:

Bulgaria 2000 10 leva KM-252

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