Monasteries on Bulgarian coins
From the Rila Monastery in 1981 to the Preobrazhenski Monastery in 2026 – all the coins and the stories behind them
BulgarianCoins editorial team 3 min read
Monasteries are among the strongest symbols of Bulgarian history – keepers of letters, refuges for revolutionaries, centres of art. It is no surprise that they also appear on coins. Since 2011 the BNB has had a separate series, “Bulgarian Churches and Monasteries”, and monasteries also appear on earlier issues.
The series “Bulgarian Churches and Monasteries”
The coins in the series are silver, weigh 23.33 g and have a diameter of 38.61 mm, in proof quality.
| Year | Coin | Face value and metal | Mintage | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Zograf Monastery | 10 leva, Ag 925/1000 | 6,000 | Ivan Todorov and Todor Todorov |
| 2013 | Bachkovo Monastery | 10 leva, Ag 925/1000 | 3,000 | Evgenia Tsankova and Plamen Chernev |
| 2014 | Troyan Monastery | 10 leva, Ag 925/1000 | 3,000 | Stefan Ivanov |
| 2017 | Rila Monastery | 10 leva, Ag 925/1000 | 3,000 | Stefan Ivanov |
| 2019 | Dryanovo Monastery | 10 leva, Ag 925/1000 | 3,000 | Mihaela Kamenova |
| 2026 | Preobrazhenski Monastery | 10 euro, Ag 999/1000 | 5,000 | Svetlin Balezdrov |
Prices at release rose from 66 leva for the first coins to 78 leva in 2019. The series’ first coin in euro, from 2026, costs 132 euro.
The monasteries and their stories
Zograf (2011)
The Zograf Monastery of St George is the Bulgarian monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. The original of Paisiy Hilendarski’s “Slavonic-Bulgarian History” is kept there. With a mintage of 6,000, the coin has the highest mintage in the series.
Bachkovo Monastery (2013)
The Bachkovo Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God near Asenovgrad was founded in 1083 by the Byzantine commander Gregory Pakourianos. It is the second-largest monastery in Bulgaria and holds valuable murals and icons, including the miracle-working icon of the Virgin.
Troyan Monastery (2014)
The Troyan Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God is the third-largest in Bulgaria. Its murals are the work of Zahariy Zograf, and during the National Revival it was connected with the revolutionary activity of Vasil Levski.
Rila Monastery (2017)
The Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St Ivan of Rila and is the largest and best-known monastery in Bulgaria. Since 1983 it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Rila Monastery is also the monastery most often depicted on Bulgarian coins – see below.
Dryanovo Monastery (2019)
The Dryanovo Monastery of St Archangel Michael is connected with the April Uprising. In 1876 the band of Pop Hariton and Bacho Kiro defended themselves there for nine days against the Ottoman troops. More in the news of the coin’s release.
Preobrazhenski Monastery (2026)
The Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration near Veliko Tarnovo is famous for the murals of Zahariy Zograf, including “The Wheel of Life”. The coin is the first in the series issued in euro.
Earlier coins with monasteries
- “The Rila Monastery”, 2 leva, 1981 – one of the 13 coins of the “1300 Years of Bulgaria” programme, with a mintage of 300,000.
- “St Ivan of Rila”, 1000 leva, 1996 – a silver coin (Ag 925/1000, 33.63 g) with the image of the founder of the Rila Monastery.
You can add the coins with churches to the theme – for example the Boyana Church (1981), “St Sofia” (1998) and the Church of Christ Pantocrator in Nessebar (2000).
How to collect the theme
- Start with the BNB series – six coins in the same format that look wonderful together.
- Add the 1981 Rila Monastery – an affordable coin that links the theme with the “1300 Years of Bulgaria” programme.
- Expand with churches and icons – see the series “Bulgarian Iconography” in series.
- Keep the boxes and certificates – see why.
You will also find all the coins on this theme on the catalogue’s Themes page.
