- Silver .500
First Soviet-Bulgarian Space Flight (BU)
1979 · 10 leva · Bulgarian National Bank
Specifications
- Metal
- Silver 500/1000
- Weight
- 14 g
- Fine silver content
- 7.00 g (0.2251 oz t)
- Diameter
- 32 mm
- Quality
- BU
- Official mintage
- 35,000
- Year of issue
- 1979
- Series
- Individual issue
- Designer
- Georgi Baldzhiev
- Minted by
- Sofia, Bulgaria
- Catalogue no.
- BC-1979-03
- Issue price
- 10.00 лв
- pre-1999 lev · BNB, 1979
- Market value (asking prices)
- —
- no verified data yet
- Melt value
- €11.41
- Ag spot €50.70/oz · Oct 2026
Relative rarity
5/10 · Scarce
How we calculate it
The score starts from the mintage on a logarithmic scale (500 coins or fewer = 10, ten million = 1). Coins of the Principality and the Kingdom that circulated get extra points, because much of that silver and gold was melted down and many coins were lost in the wars and withdrawn in 1952. Modern commemorative coins lose a point, since almost all of them survive in collections. Finally we look at how often the coin is offered on Balkan Auction: frequent offers lower the score.
Bulgarian Coin Exchange · Beta
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Obverse
The obverse features the coat of arms of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, and the inscription ‘БЪЛГАРИЯ’ (Bulgaria) horizontally below, encircled by the words ‘НАРОДНА РЕПУБЛИКА’ (People’s Republic), the year of issue ‘1979’, and the value ‘10 ЛЕВА’ (10 levs). The design ends with an outer ring of five-pointed stars.
Reverse
The reverse features a representation of the Soyuz spacecraft, within the circumscription ‘ПЪРВИ СЪВМЕСТЕН ПОЛЕТ В КОСМОСА’ (First Soviet-Bulgarian Space Flight) and ‘СССР*НРБ’ (USSR*PRB). The design ends with an outer ring of five-pointed stars.
Edge & packaging
Embossed text ‘СССР – НРБ ИНТЕРКОСМОС '79’(USSR - PRB Intercosmos'79) edge. Issued in a protective capsule with an information leaflet. The BNB advises keeping the capsule closed.
About this coin
First Soviet-Bulgarian Space Flight (BU)
A 10 leva silver coin issued by the Bulgarian National Bank in 1979. 35,000 pieces were minted in Sofia, Bulgaria, to a design by Georgi Baldzhiev.
Sources: BNB coin page · BNB register and prices