25 leva 1951
Market Prices
42 salesAbout This Note
This is an uncirculated 1951 Bulgarian 25 leva note (Pick-84) featuring a portrait of Georgi Dimitrov on the obverse and a detailed mining scene on the reverse, exemplifying the socialist-era imagery of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. The note displays pristine condition with vibrant colors, fine engraving throughout, and intact security features including ornate decorative borders and detailed portraiture. As a mid-20th century Eastern Bloc currency note in UNC condition, it represents an accessible example of Communist-era Bulgarian numismatic design.
Common. The eBay auction data shows consistent sales of this note in UNC condition ranging from $0.99 to $5.50, with most transactions at the lower end of that range. The 2016 catalog value of $1.50 for UNC condition further confirms this is an abundant note with modest collector demand. High print runs were typical for regular issue banknotes during the Communist period, and the consistent availability across multiple decades of sales data indicates no scarcity.
Issued in 1951 during the early Cold War period when Bulgaria was firmly within the Soviet sphere of influence, this note reflects the socialist ideology of the time through its imagery. The obverse features Georgi Dimitrov, the Bulgarian Communist leader and Prime Minister (1946-1949), while the reverse depicts mining operations—a symbolic representation of proletarian labor and industrial development central to Communist propaganda. The note's design embodies the state's emphasis on mineral extraction and economic production as pillars of socialist progress.
The obverse presents a three-quarter profile portrait of Georgi Dimitrov facing left, depicting him with slicked-back hair and a prominent mustache in formal attire with a high collar—standard iconography for Communist leadership portraiture of the era. The right side features the Bulgarian national emblem: a rampant lion surrounded by wheat stalks and crowned with a red star, symbolizing the agrarian and socialist character of the state. The reverse showcases a detailed engraved mining scene with multiple workers depicted in period clothing operating mining equipment in an excavation site, emphasizing the socialist valorization of industrial labor. Ornate decorative scrollwork and floral patterns frame both sides, with the denomination '25' displayed prominently in corners in large numerals with multicolored accents (blue, green, pink/red) in the denominational indicators and emblem.
Front side: '25' (denomination), 'НАРОДНА РЕПУБЛИКА БЪЛГАРИЯ' (People's Republic of Bulgaria), 'ВАЛЮТЕСУТИПЕТ' (Currency/Banknote), 'ЛЕВА' (Leva). Back side: 'БЪЛГАРСКА НАРОДНА БАНКА' (Bulgarian National Bank), '25' (denomination), 'ЛЕВА' (Leva), 'АС 511853' (Serial number), '1951' (issue year), 'БЪЛГАРСКИЯ И БЛАГОРОДНИ МЕТАЛИ И БОЙНИЯ КАПИТАЛИ НА БАНКАТА' (Bulgarian precious metals and bank's battle capital), 'ЗА ПОДДРАВКА ВИНОВНИТЕ СЕ НАКАЗВАТ ПО ЗАКОНА' (Counterfeiters will be punished by law).
Intaglio engraving (line engraving) throughout, evidenced by the fine detail work visible in the portraiture, mining scene, and decorative borders. The note was printed by Goznak (the Soviet security printer), as indicated by the PMG population report. Multiple color printing was employed for certain design elements including the emblem and denomination numerals, with the base printing in gray and black on multicolor underprint.
The PMG population report identifies one catalogued variant: P-84a, printed by Goznak. The observed serial number 'АС 511853' appears consistent with standard issue numbering conventions. No overprints, significant date variations, or signature variants are evident from the visual analysis. This represents the standard regular issue variety for the 1951 25 leva denomination.
