Issued on November 1, 1991 by the National Bank of Bulgaria, this 20 Leva banknote belongs to the first series released after the fall of the communist regime. The obverse features a detail from a fresco of Duchess Sevastokratitza Desislava, founder of the Boyana Church in Sofia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The reverse depicts a stylized image of the Boyana Church itself.
Printed on cotton paper, the note measures 119 × 59 mm. The watermark displays a rampant lion, a national symbol of Bulgaria. The banknote was printed by Wertpapierdruckerei Leipzig in Germany and carries the signatures of Governor Todor Vulchev and Cash Director Lyuben Ivanov. It was withdrawn from circulation on July 31, 1998.
Obverse
A portrait of sebastocratorina Desislava, a founder of Boyana Church; a fresco fragment.
Script: Cyrillic
Lettering:
Двадесет Лева
Българска Народна Банка
Десислава Севастократорица Ктиторица
Translation:
Twenty Leva
Bulgarian National Bank
Designer: Antonii Ivanov
Reverse
The Boyana Church on the right, the figure “20” and the text “ДВАДЕСЕТ ЛЕВА” (twenty levs) on the left.
Script: Cyrillic
Lettering:
Двадесет Лева
Българска Народна Банка
За подправка виновните се наказват съгласно закона
Translation:
Twenty Leva
Bulgarian National Bank
For forgery the guilty are punished according to the law
Designer: Antonii Ivanov
Watermark
A rampant lion.
© hex7ech (CC BY-NC)
Printer
Wertpapierdruckerei, Leipzig, Germany
Comments
© gyoschak
Features
| Issuer | Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Issuing bank | Bulgarian National Bank (Българска народна банка) |
| Ruling authority | Republic (1990-date) |
| Type | Standard circulation banknotes |
| Year | 1991 |
| Value | 20 Leva (20 BGL) |
| Currency | Third lev (1962-1999) |
| Composition | Paper |
| Size | 119 × 59 mm |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Demonetized | 31 July 1998 |
