The first year of Bulgarian euro coins: the BNB’s five collector coins of 2026
From the tram to “St Ivan of Rila” – prices, mintages, designers and what they are worth today
BulgarianCoins editorial team 6 min read
2026 is the first year of the euro in Bulgaria, and also the first year of Bulgarian collector coins in euro. The Bulgarian National Bank issued five of them: three silver 10-euro coins, one copper 5-euro coin and one gold 100-euro coin. Here is what each of them is, how much the BNB sold it for and what it is offered for today.
All five at a glance
| Release | Coin | Metal | Mintage | BNB price | Median of listings | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jan 2026 | 125 Years of Electric Tram in Bulgaria, 10 euro | silver | 5,000 | €144 | ≈ €220 | +53 % |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Krastyo Sarafov – 150 Years from Birth, 5 euro | copper | 6,000 | €36 | ≈ €55.50 | +54 % |
| 20 Apr 2026 | 150 Years since the April Uprising, 10 euro | silver | 5,000 | €144 | ≈ €221 | +54 % |
| 3 Aug 2026 | Preobrazhenski Monastery, 10 euro | silver | 5,000 | €132 | ≈ €197 | +49 % |
| 12 Oct 2026 | St Ivan of Rila, 100 euro | gold | 3,000 | €1,508 | ≈ €1,750 (1 listing) | +16 % |
The silver coins are Ag 999/1000, 23.33 g and 38.61 mm, the copper coin is Cu 999/1000, 16.4 g and 34.2 mm, and the gold coin is Au 999/1000, 8.64 g and 24 mm. All five are proof quality and were struck by the Bulgarian Mint.
What changed compared with the lev coins
The specifications stayed the same. The silver 10-euro coins have the same metal, weight and diameter as the silver 10-leva coins of 2025, such as 175 Years since the Birth of Ivan Vazov. The copper 5 euro repeats the specifications of the copper 2-leva Georgi Partsalev coin, and the gold 100 euro those of the 100-leva St Patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo, including its mintage of 3,000.
Mintages and prices changed. The silver coins of 2025 had mintages of 4,000 and cost 162–180 leva (180 leva ≈ €92); the silver euro coins have mintages of 5,000 and cost €132–144. The copper coin went from 60 leva (≈ €30.68) to €36, and the gold coin from 2,590 leva (€1,324.25) to €1,508.
The coins one by one
125 Years of Electric Tram in Bulgaria was the BNB’s first collector coin in euro. It went on sale on 26 January 2026. The reverse shows the first tram with the year 1901, when the first electric tram ran in Sofia; the obverse shows an old street lamp. Designer: Svetlin Balezdrov.
Krastyo Sarafov – 150 Years from Birth is a copper 5-euro coin in the Bulgarian Artists series, on sale from 23 March 2026. The reverse shows a portrait of the actor against a cinefilm and theatre masks. Designers: Plamen Chernev and Preslav Chernev.
150 Years since the April Uprising went on sale on 20 April 2026 and belongs to the Bulgarian Revival series. The reverse shows the revolutionary flag with the inscription “Freedom or Death” and a crowned lion, and the obverse the First Gunshot Bridge in Koprivshtitsa. Collectors queued in front of the bank to buy it. Designer: Svetlin Balezdrov.
Preobrazhenski Monastery opened the Bulgarian Churches and Monasteries series in euro. On the first day of sale, 3 August 2026, collectors queued in front of the BNB again. The obverse shows a stylised image of Zahariy Zograf’s mural “The Wheel of Life”. Designer: Svetlin Balezdrov.
St Ivan of Rila is the BNB’s first gold coin in euro and its fifth and last collector coin of 2026. It belongs to the Bulgarian Iconography series and has gone on sale on 12 October 2026, limited to one coin per buyer. Designer: Simeon Tsintsarski.
How they are doing on the market
The four silver and copper coins are all offered at almost the same premium: about 50 % above the BNB price. The medians are €220 for the tram, €221.40 for the April Uprising, €196.95 for the monastery and €55.50 for Sarafov.
Graded coins are a different market. An NGC PF 70 Ultra Cameo tram is offered for €578 and an NGC “Top Pop” example for €750, while an NGC PF 69 April Uprising coin is listed at €280 and an NGC PF 69 Sarafov at €110.
The gold St Ivan of Rila had only one listing a week after its release, at €1,750 – one listing is not yet a market price. All five coins together cost €1,964 at the BNB; the sum of today’s medians is about €2,444.
A year is a short time. These are asking prices on Balkan Auction as of 19 October 2026, not completed sales, and the premium of a new issue can shrink once the first wave of demand passes. More about how issue and market prices develop over the years is in Issue price vs market price.
What you can still buy from the BNB
According to the BNB, the Sarafov coin was the only 2026 collector coin still available at its cash desks in Sofia, with 481 pieces at €36 (figures as of 1 October 2026). The BNB also sells the set of Bulgarian euro circulation coins, from 1 cent to 2 euro, for €23.40. How buying from the BNB works step by step is in How to buy commemorative coins from the BNB.
What comes next
The BNB’s 2026 programme also includes a 2-euro commemorative coin dedicated to the Bulgarian alphabet in the second half of the year. For 2027 the BNB Governing Council adopted a programme of five collector coins and two 2-euro commemorative coins on 7 July 2026. We publish every new issue in Upcoming coins and in the news as soon as the BNB announces the date and price.
If you own any of these coins, you can follow their value in My portfolio. Current offers from other collectors are on the Bulgarian Coin Exchange. BulgarianCoins does not buy or sell coins, and this article is not investment advice.
Sources: BNB – euro collector coins, BNB press releases of 17 April 2026 and 9 October 2026, the BulgarianCoins catalogue and market prices (Balkan Auction, 19 October 2026).
