One Hundred Leva 1912, Coin from Bulgaria - detailed information

One Hundred Leva 1912, Coin from Bulgaria (demonetised 1952)
CoinOne Hundred Leva 1912

The Lev (Bulgarian: лев, plural: лева, левове / leva, levove) is the currency of Bulgaria. In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion", a word which in the modern language became lăv (in Bulgarian: лъв). The lev is divided in 100 stotinki (стотинки, singular: stotinka, стотинка).

The Lev was introduced as Bulgaria's currency in 1881 with a value equal to the French Franc. The gold standard was suspended between 1899 and 1906 and suspended again in 1912. Until 1916, Bulgaria's silver and gold coins were issued to the same specifications as those of the Latin Monetary Union. Thus, a One Hundred Leva coin was a very high-value coin at the time, so not many of them were issued.

The 1912 coins were struck in Austria-Hungary, as part of a two-coin issue also including a gold 20 Leva, to mark the country's declaration of independence four years earlier.

Bulgaria was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire until it declared independence on 22nd September 1908. Before that, the monarch was styled "Prince" on the coinage. In 1912, the legend was changed to "Tsar" (King) for the first time, and the name of the country to Kingdom of Bulgaria, as opposed to Principality of Bulgaria earlier.

In the 1960s, the Bulgarian National Bank commissioned official restrikes of the coin, which were only distributed many years later.

MintMint markTotal Mintage
Vienna Mint No mint mark 5,000
Bulgarian Mint (1967-1968 restrike) No mint mark 1,000
Obverse
Bulgaria / One Hundred Leva 1912 - obverse photo

The obverse of the coin shows, within a beaded border, the effigy of King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria facing left (portrait by Rudolf Marschall).

The artist's name R. MARSCHALL is in small letters below the truncation of the neck.

Around, the monarch's legend in old Bulgarian orthography: ФЕРДИНАНДЪ I ЦАРЬ НА БЪЛГАРИТѢ (Ferdinand the First, King of the Bulgarians).

There is no mint mark.

Obverse Inscription ФЕРДИНАНДЪ I ЦАРЬ НА БЪЛГАРИТѢ
Reverse
Bulgaria / One Hundred Leva 1912 - reverse photo

At centre, the reverse of the coin depicts the small version of the Coat of Arms of Bulgaria: crowned lion rampant within a shield, facing left, with an inescutcheon (small shield superimposed onto the lion) carrying the Coat of Arms of Saxony as the monarch was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The shield is crowned with the large Diamond Crown of Bulgaria.

The crown originally belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette of France and was given to Princess Clémentine of Orléans as a dowry together with a golden carriage also belonging to Marie Antoinette. Both of those items ended in the possession of the Bulgarian Royal Family. The crown was modified to replace the French Fleur-de-lis to a Bulgarian ball with a cross on top.

Around above, interrupted by the cross on top of the crown, the inscription ЦАРСТВО БЪЛГАРИЯ (Kingdom of Bulgaria).

The value and denomination 100 ЛЕВА (One Hundred Leva) are divided by the Coat of Arms. Flanking the Coat of Arms, a laurel branch on the left and stalks of wheat on the right.

Around below, 22 · СЕПТ · 1908 (abbreviated from "22 Септември 1908") - 22 September 1908, the date of the Declaration of Independence of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire.

Above that, a very small date of issue: 1912.

Reverse Inscription ЦАРСТВО БЪЛГАРИЯ 100 ЛЕВА 1912 22 · СЕПТ · 1908
EdgeInscribedEdge InscriptionБОЖЕ ПАЗИ БЪЛГАРИЯ
One Hundred Leva 1912: Known varieties
Variety Proof
Mintage Issued: unknown
Variety Restrike (Bulgarian Mint)
Images Bulgaria / One Hundred Leva 1912 / Restrike (Bulgarian Mint) - obverse photo Bulgaria / One Hundred Leva 1912 / Restrike (Bulgarian Mint) - reverse photo
Mintage Issued: 1,000
Details

Official restrikes were produced in 1967-1968 and released prior to 2002. These are distinguished by the thicker and more widely spaced edge legends, and by greater relief in the shield on the reverse. The obverse is slightly concave.

One Hundred Leva 1912: References to Information Used
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One Hundred Leva 1912: Details
CountryBulgaria
CurrencyLev
PeriodFirst Lev (1881 - 1952)
Coin TypeOne Hundred Leva (Gold)
Issued1912
MonarchЦар Фердинанд I (Tsar Ferdinand I)
EffigyPortrait by Rudolf Marschall
ReverseCoat of Arms of Bulgaria, 1879
Face Value100 (x Lev)
Total Mintage5,000
CurrentNo; demonetised 1952
Material0.900 Gold
DesignerRudolf Marschall
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationCoin Alignment (Axis 6)
Size35.0000 mm
Mass32.2600 g
OCC IDYMXK-DEKQ-CYYV-EWQJ
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One Hundred Leva 1912: Photos
ImageDetails
Coin, Bulgaria, 100 Leva, 1912, Restrike
Copyright: NumisCorner.com
Notes: Restrike.
Source
Coin, Bulgaria, 100 Leva, 1912, Restrike
Copyright: NumisCorner.com
Notes: Restrike.
Source
Bulgaria Ferdinand I Gold 100 Leva 1912
Copyright: smarty_marty24
Source
Bulgaria Ferdinand I Gold 100 Leva 1912
Copyright: smarty_marty24
Source
One Hundred Leva 1912: Catalogue Reference IDs