Founded in 1879
The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) was founded on 25 January 1879, when the Russian Imperial Commissar in Bulgaria, Prince Alexander Dondukov-Korsakov, approved its charter. Its first governor was appointed on 4 April 1879, the bank opened on 23 May and carried out its first banking operation on 6 June 1879.
The BNB and the lev
The Minting Rights Act of 1880 created the lev as Bulgaria’s currency, gave the state the exclusive right to mint coins and tasked the BNB with putting them into circulation. The first coins followed in 1881.
From 1 January 2026, with Bulgaria’s entry to the euro area, the euro replaced the lev.
Collector and commemorative coins
The BNB issues its coins under an annual coin programme with a three-year horizon. Since 2026 it issues collector euro coins — legal tender only in Bulgaria — in face values of 5 to 100 euro, and may issue up to two 2-euro commemorative coins a year after agreement with the European Commission and the European Central Bank.
New issues are sold at the BNB’s cash desks in Sofia. Every BNB collector coin is in the catalogue: coins about the BNB itself, the latest releases and upcoming issues.