Books and catalogues every collector should have

“Buy the book before you buy the coin” – this is one of the oldest rules in numismatics. Knowledge is the best protection against mistakes and counterfeits. Here is what every collector of Bulgarian coins should have in their library.

The world catalogues

Standard Catalog of World Coins (Krause)

The best-known world catalogue, known as “Krause”. It is divided by century – 19th, 20th and 21st. For each coin there is a number (KM#), weight, metal, mintage and indicative prices by grade.

Use: the KM# number is used in listings and auctions all over the world. Caution: the prices in the catalogue are indicative and often out of date for Bulgarian coins.

Numista

A free online database maintained by collectors. It contains photos, data and the option to keep your collection online.

Use: fast, free, with photos. Caution: the data is entered by users – check it.

BNB publications

The Bulgarian National Bank’s website publishes information about every commemorative coin – theme, designers, metal, weight, mintage and issue price. It is the official source for modern coins. See also How to buy commemorative coins from the BNB.

Bulgarian catalogues and price lists

There are Bulgarian catalogues and price lists of Bulgarian coins. They are useful because they know the local market. In detail – in Price lists and catalogues: how to read them.

Our catalogue

The BulgarianCoins catalogue brings together over 480 Bulgarian coins from 1881 to today – with photos, mintages, designers, issue prices and market prices from current listings. It is free and kept up to date.

Grading guides

The books and guides of the major grading companies explain the grades with photos. They are invaluable if you want to grade coins yourself. See Coin grades.

History books

To understand coins, you need to know the history. Useful are:

1. The history of money in Bulgaria – BNB publications and scholarly articles on the history of the lev.
2. The history of Bulgaria – for the periods of the Principality, the Kingdom and the People’s Republic.
3. Thracian art – if you collect series such as “The Treasures of Bulgaria”.

See also our history articles: Bulgaria and the Latin Monetary Union, The gold standard and The foreign mints.

Auction catalogues

The catalogues of the major auction houses are an excellent source. They contain quality photos, descriptions and – after the auction – realised prices. Many of them are available online. See How online auctions work.

Magazines and forums

Numismatic magazines and forums are where collectors share knowledge, discoveries and warnings about counterfeits. See Numismatic fairs, clubs and communities.

How to use the sources together

In short

Start with the free sources – our catalogue, the BNB website and Numista. Then add a world catalogue and a grading guide. A book costs as much as one coin, but can save you much more. See also the Glossary of numismatic terms.