After the exchange with the euro, the Bulgarian lev can become interesting for foreign numismatists, because collectors are interested in small countries and small circulations of the relevant coins. This was told to BTA by Angelin Petrov, chairman of the Numismatic Society - Central Bulgaria, which is organizing its next meeting in Stara Zagora today.
He pointed out that for exactly one year now, there have been similar meetings every month, and the society itself was established shortly before that. “The goal is to exchange experience and for everyone to show what they have found over the months. We want to show things that were hidden in attics and houses“, said Angelin Petrov and specified that over 70 exhibitors are participating in today's event, and depending on the period, they have reached up to 100.
According to him, the attendance and interest are serious, with over 1,000 people regularly coming according to the counters of the shopping center where the collection is held.
“Sometimes valuable specimens are found, which are shown for the first time at such forums, because people have nowhere else to do it, especially the locals. There are similar collections all over Bulgaria, but as the center of the country, we attract many numismatists and collectors here. The last one was a leva from 1894 in excellent quality. A very valuable coin. At the last collection, very hard-to-find banknotes, valuable and expensive in value, were also exhibited“, commented the chairman of the Numismatic Society – Central Bulgaria.
Angelin Petrov added that more and more young people are interested in numismatics. “Almost every day we come across new ambitious people. Every coin has a history and in this way young people learn about it and the world. They learn who Ferdinand, Boris, Battenberg are. The same goes for foreign coins. I have friends who, along with foreign coins, know all the European monarchs“, the expert commented.
The numismatist expressed the opinion that with the disappearance of the leva from circulation, it may become interesting mainly for foreign collectors, who are generally interested in small countries and small circulations of the respective coins. The Deputy Chairman of the Numismatic Society – Central Bulgaria, Georgi Stoyanov, also commented to BTA and suggested that interest will increase over time, because more and more collectors from Europe and the world will be interested in a currency that has disappeared from the market, but he does not expect any drastic increases in value, although coins have been increasing in price over the years.
According to Georgi Stoyanov, the price of a coin is determined by a set of factors, but the most important is the condition, quality, and then the circulation - the denomination, the year and whether there is any history around it. He gave an example of those from 1916, when the coins did not enter circulation. “They were melted down into silver after their minting and reparations to Bulgaria were paid with them. This coin, especially with a denomination of 2 leva, is very sought after, but the numbers are extremely small. Even some of the certified coins are copies - well-made fakes that are difficult to distinguish,“ said the numismatist. He advised anyone who finds a coin to contact an expert for help and assistance. “There are catalogs that describe all the specimens, and everyone can also estimate the price of what they find, but the quality would be difficult for a novice numismatist to determine“, said Georgi Stoyanov and pointed out that there is no limit to the value that a coin can reach, because collecting is a passion. The most expensive ones are for nearly 200,000 leva. These are the gold 100 leva from 1894, which, according to him, is the most valuable coin in Bulgaria at the moment.
However, he himself is a fan of iron coins, which are the most difficult to store and find in good quality.
“An example is those from 1941 with a face value of 10 leva, which can reach a price of over 50,000 leva. For a piece of iron to reach such a price is unique. It is difficult to store them, because once they start rusting – there is no stopping them and serious care is needed“, said the numismatist.
The Numismatic Society – Central Bulgaria pointed out that Stara Zagora has established itself as the best center for antique collections, differing from others with the many objects that are displayed and have a wide range – cards, badges, old weapons, photographs and others.