The Bulgarian currency called the Bulgarian lev (into Bulgarian: лев), raised in the plural leva, and is the monetary unit of Bulgaria since 1881, when Bulgaria becomes an autonomous republic of the Ottoman Empire. This name means “lion” into Bulgarian and in the same beginning as the Rumanian leu and the Moldavian leu. During its creation, in 1881, it was with parity with the French franc.

* In 1952, following the inflation of post-war period, it knew a first redenomination and 1 “new” lev BGK replaced 100 “old hand” levs BGJ.


* In 1962, a new devaluation took place at the rate of 1 BGL for 10 BGK. The lev remained then officially stable nearly 3 decades, but was not convertible and was negotiated for a value 5 to 10 times less at the black-market.


Since the adoption of new a lev (code ISO BGN) in 1999 (1 “new” lev BGN = 1.000 “old hand” levs BGL), whose official foreign exchange rate was fixed at 1 DEM = 1 BGN, the lev is related to the euro within the framework of a currency board (since January 1st, 1999) at the rate of 1,95583 per one euro which was also that of the deutschemark. It was to thus be ready to integrate the euro as soon as the time provided for in the treaties is respected (either on January 1st, 2009 or at the latest with semi-2009). But because of the economic situation and the crisis this date was deferred as soon as possible to January 1st, 2012, certain analysts indicating even the date of 2015.


Sub-unit 100 stotinki
Foreign exchange rate 1 EURO = 1,95583 BGN

Source : Wikipédia