Twenty Leva 1912, Coin from Bulgaria - detailed information

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.

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 20 ЛЕВА (Twenty 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.