BULGARIA UNVEILS COIN DESIGNS
Bulgaria has had its problems as it struggles to introduce the European Union’s euro to replace Bulgaria’s levdenominated coins and bank notes.
The Revival Party is a pro-Russian, anti-NATO organization inside Bulgaria. Bulgaria is a member of NATO and the European Union. In September 2023 the Revival Party organized a campaign urging Bulgaria to leave NATO. Supporters waved Russian flags while chanting anti-western slogans. At the heart of these protests was Bulgaria’s currently stalled attempt to join the EU’s Eurozone. Bulgaria has recently set yet another new target date of Jan. 1, 2025, on which it will move from the lev to the euro.
As a result of the Revival unrest, Bulgaria expelled one Russian and two Belarussian priests while closing the Russian church in Sofia. All three priests were accused of espionage.
Bulgaria has now announced the proposed national side of their upcoming euro coins will depict two Bulgarian Orthodox saints as well as a 7th or 8th-century rock relief dating found in the country’s northeast.
The proposed €2 coin will feature Saint Paisius of Hilendar (1722–1773), a Bulgarian clergyman and key figure in the Bulgarian National Revival who opposed the Hellenization policies of the mainly Greek Orthodox clergy. The lettered edge of this coin will read “God save Bulgaria.”
The proposed €1 coin will feature Saint John of Rila (876–ca. 946), Bulgaria’s first hermit. Saint John’s followers founded churches in his honor, including the famous Rila Monastery. Saint John will be depicted nimbate. The halo is interesting, considering in 2012 Eurozone countries objected to the design of a Slovak commemorative €2 coin issued to mark the 1,150th anniversary of the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Moravia. Both saints were initially depicted with halos that were later removed due to the objections of other EU countries.
The reason for depicting or objecting to a halo or other religious symbols on coins by other EU countries may be confusing. A later version of the Slovak coin that was accepted features Cyril and Methodius holding a Christian double cross.
France recently ran afoul of some of its fellow currency union members when a proposed new design was rejected by the European Commission. Following a “no reasoned opinion or negative assessment” the Council of the European Union approved the proposed Bulgarian euro coin designs on February 1. The CEU allows participating currency union members to “raise an objection to the draft design proposed” by a new member “if that draft design was likely to create adverse reactions among its citizens.”
Paintings and sculptures on which either of the Bulgarian saints are featured with a halo were frowned upon during the years Bulgaria was a communist nation. The European Union has struggled with how to handle Christian values and symbols. In 2004 an attempt to mention Europe’s Christian roots in the EU constitution failed. The entire Christian roots effort was rejected the following year due to referendums in France and the Netherlands.
The iconography on Bulgaria’s coins strongly resembled those of the Soviet Union beginning between 1962 until the fall of the Communist government. Communistera coins were replaced with other designs in 1992. Among the post-communist era coins is a 2002 1-lev gold commemorative featuring St. John (St. Ivan in Bulgaria), a 2015 2-lev depicting St. Paisius, a 2004 10-lev on which St. Nikolay Mirlikisky Chudotvorez appears, 2011 10-lev coins depicting the Zograf Monastery as well as Bulgarian churches and monasteries, and a 1999 gold commemorative 20-lev featuring the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ.
The Bulgarian nation had its modern beginnings with the First Bulgarian Empire recognized by a treaty with the Byzantine Empire in 681. Byzantine Emperor Basil II conquered Bulgaria during the early 11th century, however, the Second Bulgarian Empire followed a successful revolt in 1185. This second empire was conquered by the Ottomans in 1396. The modern state was established following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 to 1878.
Bulgarian Czar Ivan Asen II (1218-1241) issued coins similar to those of the Byzantine Empire. The obverse of his gold perpera features Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica crowning and handing a sword to the czar. The reverse depicts Christ Pantocrator with an inscription translating to “Jesus Christ, Czar of the Glory.” Christ Pantocrator also appears on his billion coins.
Protector of sailors and personal patron of the czar, St. Nicholas appears on billon coins of Czar Mitso Asen (1256-1257). Billon coins of Czar Constantine Tikh Asen (1257-1277) depict Christ Emanuil, a Latin cross, Christ Ubrus, Christ Pantocrator, and the Virgin Mary. Christ appears enthroned on billion coins of Czar George I Terter (1280-1292). The Latin cross and Christ Pantocrator enthroned appear on the coins of Czar Theodore Svetoslav (1300-1321). Christ Pantocrator continues as a design theme on coins of Czar Michael Shishman (1323-1330), Ivan Alexander (1331-1371), and Michael Asen IV (died 1355). St. Stephen also appears on the coins of Michael Asen.
Immediate post-Ottoman Bulgarian coins feature the Bulgarian ruler. Introduced in 1881 the lev was initially on par with the French franc. The gold standard was suspended from 1899 to 1906 and again in 1912. Through 1916 Bulgaria’s specie coinage was aligned with the Latin Monetary Union specifications.