Gilded, piefort and coloured BNB coins: a complete overview
Silver with partial gilding, double-thickness coins and colour printing – what they are and which ones exist
BulgarianCoins editorial team 3 min read
Most BNB commemorative coins are in a single metal, with no additional finishing. Some, however, have “special effects” – colour printing, partial gilding or double thickness. They are a separate, very popular group for collectors.
Coloured coins
The BNB’s coloured coins have a face value of 5 leva and are in proof quality. The first ones (2002–2005) are copper-nickel, and from 2006 they are in 500/1000 silver. Most are from the series “Bulgarian Customs and Traditions”, “Bulgarian Crafts” and “Bulgarian Folk Tales”. All are collected on the Coloured coins page.
| Year | Coin | Mintage | Median listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Survakari | 5,000 | ≈ €700 |
| 2003 | My Childhood | 10,000 | ≈ €530 (1 listing) |
| 2004 | Palm Sunday | 10,000 | ≈ €370 |
| 2005 | Baba Marta | 10,000 | ≈ €290 |
| 2006 | Wine Growing and Wine Production | 10,000 | ≈ €200 |
| 2007 | Carpet Making | 7,000 | €280–1,000 (2 listings) |
| 2009 | Pottery | 6,000 | ≈ €220 (1 listing) |
| 2011 | Kose Bose | 6,000 | ≈ €240 |
| 2012 | The Boy and the Wind | 4,000 | no listings |
The coloured coins have the largest rise relative to the issue price of all BNB coins. “Survakari” was sold by the bank for about €3.58 and is now offered for about €700. See Issue price vs market price.
Caution: the colour is the most vulnerable part. A scratch, fading or a spot on the colour considerably lowers the price. Keep the coins in their capsule and away from light.
Partially gilded coins
Since 2004 many BNB silver coins have had partial gilding. Usually the gold is on the central element – a crown, a weapon, a mask or an ornament. Among them are:
- St Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra (2004) – one of the first.
- The Gold Mask (2005) and Letnitsa (2006) from the series “The Treasures of Bulgaria”.
- Almost the whole series “Medieval Bulgarian Rulers” – from Khan Krum (2011) to Tsar Mihail III Shishman (2023).
- “Eminent Bulgarian Voices” – Boris Hristov and Nikolay Gyaurov.
The gilding is thin and delicate. Do not rub the coin, and in storage avoid contact with other coins.
Piefort
A piefort is a coin struck on a planchet of double thickness and weight, with the usual dies. The catalogue has two such BNB coins:
- International Year of the Child, piefort (1979) – 46.66 g, 2,500 pieces.
- 100 Years Ivan Vazov National Theatre, piefort (2004) – 46.66 g, 5,000 pieces.
Pieforts weigh twice as much – 46.66 g instead of 23.33 g. In our market prices we show them separately and do not mix them with the ordinary coins of the same issue.
How to collect them
- The coloured coins are a complete group of nine coins. The key one is “Survakari”.
- The gilded coins are best collected by series, for example “Medieval Rulers”. See How to complete a whole series.
- The pieforts are only two and are an interesting addition to any collection.
Beware of “home-made” versions
Coins coloured or gilded later by private individuals are also sold online. They have nothing to do with the official issues and are worth less than the ordinary coin. Compare the coin with the photos in the catalogue and check the BNB certificate. See also Discoloured coins: what can be restored.
Prices are medians of current listings on Balkan Auction as of 19.10.2026.
