Bulgaria 1999 20 leva

from the Stack's Bowers June 2021 Collector's Choice sale, lot 70419

This specimen was lot 70419 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2021), where it sold for $228. The catalog description^[1] noted, "BULGARIA. 20 Leva, 1999. Sofia Mint. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo. Featuring the Madonna and Child, this nearly-flawless proof issue exhibits a great cameo nature and exceptionally mirrored fields." Bulgaria was forned out of the disintegrating remnants of the Ottoman empire. Originally a monarchy, the king was ousted by the communists after World War Two, The communists were ousted in turn with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-90. In 1999, the coinage was reformed. The SCWC doesn't state but we believe 1000 old leva = one new leva. This NCLT was the first gold issue under the new system and reflects the resurgence of Orthodox Christianity in the region.

Recorded mintage: 10,000.

Specification: 1.55 g, 0.999 fine gold, 0.050 oz, 13.9 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: Fr-21; KM-278.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2021 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.

Link to:

• 1997 1000 leva, UNICEF
• 1998 20,000 leva, Tsar Ivan Alexander
• 1999 10 stotinki
• 1999 20 stotinki
• 1999 50 stotinki
• 2000 1 stotinka
• 2000 2 stotinki
• 2000 5 stotinki
• 2000 10 leva, the new Millennium
• Coins and currency dated 1999