Type details
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Currency | BGN |
| Denomination | 2 |
| Series | Fourth series |
| Series year | 2005 |
| Series range | 1999–present |
| Issue year | 2005 |
| Issuer | Bulgarian National Bank |
| Issuer (native) | Българска народна банка |
| Signatures | Governor: Управител (signature illegible); Chief Cashier: Главен касиер (signature illegible) |
| Front portrait | Paisius of Hilendar |
| Reverse subject | Madara Rider |
| Themes | religion, writer, indigenous_culture, archaeology, commemorative |
| Watermark | Portrait of Paisius of Hilendar in clear field at right |
| Security features | thread, microprint, intaglio, see_through_register, raised_print |
| Colour palette | #8b6f8b,#d4b896,#7a5a6e |
| Material | paper |
| Dimensions (mm) | 147x70 |
| Language / script | Cyrillic |
| Languages | bg |
| Pick # | P-115 |
| Rarity | common |
| Legal status | in_circulation |
| Predecessor currency | Lev (1962–1999) |
| Era | 1990_present |
| Default value (low) | 1.0 |
| Default value (high) | 3.0 |
| Value currency | USD |
Front
Paisius of Hilendar (1722–1798), Bulgarian Orthodox monk and key figure of the Bulgarian National Revival. Author of 'Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya' (Slavonic-Bulgarian History, 1762), which awakened Bulgarian national consciousness during Ottoman rule; he is revered as the founder of modern Bulgarian historiography. The note displays his portrait alongside an excerpt from his seminal manuscript, with the national coat of arms below center.
Back
The Madara Rider, an eighth-century rock relief carved into a cliff near Shumen, Bulgaria. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of the First Bulgarian Empire, the relief depicts a mounted horseman trampling a lion, with an eagle and dog accompanying; it is one of the most important monuments of medieval Europe and represents Bulgarian sovereignty and military prowess during the reign of Khan Tervel.
History
This note belongs to the fourth series of the Bulgarian lev, introduced in 1999 following the 1997 hyperinflation crisis and currency board arrangement pegging the lev to the Deutsche Mark (later the euro at 1.95583 BGN = 1 EUR). The 2005 emission represents the standard issue of this series. Paisius and the Madara Rider were deliberately chosen to symbolize spiritual and national identity respectively, anchoring modern Bulgaria to its medieval and revival-era heritage.
Linked specimens (1)
Merge into another type
Repoints every linked specimen above to the chosen target type, fills any target nulls from this type, then deletes this type. This cannot be undone.