200 years of the “Fish Primer”: a silver Bulgarian Revival coin

From 16 September 2024, the BNB’s cash desks sell a new coin: 200 years of the “Fish Primer”.

Dr Petar Beron’s “Primer with Various Lessons” was printed in Brașov in 1824. It is called the “Fish Primer” after the dolphin (whale) drawn at the end of the book, and it laid the foundations of secular education in Bulgaria.

The coin has a face value of 10 levs and is struck in Ag 999/1000, weighing 23.33 g with a diameter of 38.61 mm. Quality: proof, mint state; mintage: 4,000. It was minted by the Bulgarian Mint to a design by Vassilena Stancheva.

Reverse: on the left – an open book with elements of the cover of the first edition of the ‘Riben Bukvar’ (Fish Primer) and an illustration of a whale. The text ‘200 ГОДИНИ ОТ ИЗДАВАНЕТО НА РИБНИЯ БУКВАР’ (200 Years since the Publication of the ‘Riben Bukvar’ (Fish Primer)).

The issue price is 150 leva. The coins are sold at the BNB cash desks in Sofia and at branches of Investbank, First Investment Bank, Texim Bank, Tokuda Bank and Central Cooperative Bank. Each customer may buy only one coin at the BNB cash desks. Buying for someone else requires a notarised power of attorney, and coins are not sold to anyone under 18.

Full details are in the BulgarianCoins catalogue below; the official announcement is on the BNB website.