Medieval Bulgarian coins
Encyclopedia
Medieval Bulgarian coinage are the coin
s minted by the Bulgarian Emperors during the Middle Ages
at the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire
. There is no evidence that coins were minted during the First Bulgarian Empire
, and minting ceased after the fall of the Second Empire with Ottoman
domination in 1396 or 1422. They were gold
(perperi), silver
(aspri), billon
(coinage of silver and copper) and copper
coins, all flat and hollow. The inscriptions were usually in Bulgarian language
and rarely in Greek
. Due to the limited space the inscriptions were abbreviated, often written with a few letters and special signs. Artistically, they continued the Byzantine
numismatic tradition
but the designs were often more schematic. The main means of expression were lines and dots. The Bulgarian coins had images different from the Byzantine and Slav coinage, so they form a distinct group. The coins are an important source for the history of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
(1218–1241) is the first Bulgarian ruler from whose reign coins are preserved. It is known that his predecessors Kaloyan
(1197–1207) and Boril
(1207–1218) minted imitations of Byzantine coins
. Although Kaloyan was given the right to mint coins by Pope Innocent III (and Boril inherited the right from him), there are no surviving coins of theirs, and historians assume that Ivan Asen II was the first ruler to actually mint coins.
The uniqueness of Ivan Asen's gold perpera and the peculiarity of its iconography
have ledt a minority of researchers to doubt its authenticity. Its peculiarity is the double gesture of Saint Demetrius who simultaneously crowns the Emperor and gives him a sword, an image found in no Byzantine or other Slavonic coins.
Some of the copper coins of Ivan Alexander are hollow (stamini) and others are flat (asarioni).
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s minted by the Bulgarian Emperors during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
at the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
. There is no evidence that coins were minted during the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
, and minting ceased after the fall of the Second Empire with Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
domination in 1396 or 1422. They were gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
(perperi), silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
(aspri), billon
Billon (alloy)
Billon is an alloy of a precious metal with a majority base metal content . It is used chiefly for making coins, medals, and token coins.The word comes from the French bille....
(coinage of silver and copper) and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
coins, all flat and hollow. The inscriptions were usually in Bulgarian language
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
and rarely in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
. Due to the limited space the inscriptions were abbreviated, often written with a few letters and special signs. Artistically, they continued the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
numismatic tradition
Byzantine coinage
Byzantine currency, money used in the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the West, consisted of mainly two types of coins: the gold solidus and a variety of clearly valued bronze coins...
but the designs were often more schematic. The main means of expression were lines and dots. The Bulgarian coins had images different from the Byzantine and Slav coinage, so they form a distinct group. The coins are an important source for the history of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
Ivan Asen II
Tsar Ivan Asen IIIvan Asen II of Bulgaria
-Early rule:He was a son of Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria and Elena . Elena, who survived until after 1235, is sometimes alleged to be a daughter of Stefan Nemanja of Serbia, but this relationship is questionable and would have caused various canonical impediments to marriages between various descendants...
(1218–1241) is the first Bulgarian ruler from whose reign coins are preserved. It is known that his predecessors Kaloyan
Kaloyan of Bulgaria
Kaloyan the Romanslayer , Ivan II , ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1197-1207. He is the third and youngest brother of Peter IV and Ivan Asen I who managed to restore the Bulgarian Empire...
(1197–1207) and Boril
Boril of Bulgaria
Boril reigned as emperor of Bulgaria from 1207 to 1218. He was the son of an unnamed sister of his predecessor Kaloyan.-Biography:It is unclear whether Boril was party to the murder of Kaloyan in front of the walls of Thessalonica in 1207, but Kaloyan's intended heirs, his nephews Ivan Asen and...
(1207–1218) minted imitations of Byzantine coins
Byzantine coinage
Byzantine currency, money used in the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the West, consisted of mainly two types of coins: the gold solidus and a variety of clearly valued bronze coins...
. Although Kaloyan was given the right to mint coins by Pope Innocent III (and Boril inherited the right from him), there are no surviving coins of theirs, and historians assume that Ivan Asen II was the first ruler to actually mint coins.
- Gold perperaHyperpyronThe hyperpyron was a Byzantine coin in use in the latter Middle Ages, replacing the solidus as the Empire's gold coinage.The gold currency of the Byzantine Empire had been the solidus or nomisma, whose gold content had remained steady at 24 carats for seven centuries and was consequently...
- It is the only surviving gold coin, not only of a medieval Bulgarian monarch, but also of any Slavonic ruler of the period. One example was found in 1934 among other coins in the area of PrilepPrilepPrilep is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 citizens. Prilep is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.-Name:...
(contemporary Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
). It is now in the National Archaeological MuseumNational Archaeological Museum (Bulgaria)The National Archaeological Museum is an archaeological museum in the centre of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It occupies the building of the largest and oldest former Ottoman mosque in the city, Büyük camii , built from stone around 1474 under Mehmed II...
of the Bulgarian Academy of SciencesBulgarian Academy of SciencesThe Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
. Its weight is 4.33 g, the diameter is 33 mm, and it is made of 16 caratCarat (purity)The karat or carat is a unit of purity for gold alloys.- Measure :Karat purity is measured as 24 times the purity by mass:where...
gold. The shape is slightly hollow. On one side Ivan Asen II and Saint Demetrius of ThessalonikiSaint Demetrius of ThessalonikiSaint Demetrius of Thessaloniki was a Christian martyr, who lived in the early 4th century.During the Middle Ages, he came to be revered as one of the most important Orthodox military saints, often paired with Saint George...
are depicted upright. With one of his hands the Saint gives the Emperor a swordSwordA sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
and with the other he is placing a crown on Ivan Asen's head. The inscription is in Bulgarian and abbreviated, and says: "Ivan Asen, Tsar" and "Saint Dimitar". On the other side of the coin is depicted Christ PantocratorChrist PantocratorIn Christian iconography, Christ Pantokrator refers to a specific depiction of Christ. Pantocrator or Pantokrator is a translation of one of many Names of God in Judaism...
. The inscription is "Jesus Christ, Tsar of the Glory". Due to similarities with the coins of Theodore Komnenos DoukasTheodore Komnenos DoukasTheodore Komnenos Doukas was ruler of Epirus from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica from 1224 to 1230.-Life:...
, it is presumed that the coins might have been minted in the Thessalonica mint, which was at the time under Bulgarian rule.
The uniqueness of Ivan Asen's gold perpera and the peculiarity of its iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
have ledt a minority of researchers to doubt its authenticity. Its peculiarity is the double gesture of Saint Demetrius who simultaneously crowns the Emperor and gives him a sword, an image found in no Byzantine or other Slavonic coins.
- Billon coins - There are around one hundred preserved coins of that type. On one side is the image of the Emperor and Saint Demetrius upright and holding a scepter with a star. On the other side is depicted Christ Pantocrator. These coins were probably minted in the Thessalonica mint. Their weight is between 3.00 and 3.08 grams.
Mitso Asen
- Billon coins - On one side is depicted the Emperor in 3/4 length, holding a cross in his left and a scepter in his right hand. On the other side is Saint NicholasSaint NicholasSaint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
in half-length. The inscription "Saint Nicholas" is in Greek. The saint is protector of the sailors and was a patron of the Emperor probably because the personal lands of Mitso AsenMitso Asen of Bulgaria-Reign:Mitso Asen ascended the throne by virtue of his marriage to Maria, a daughter of Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria by Irene Komnene of Epirus. The dates of his birth and death are unknown...
(1256–1257) included the port of NesebarNesebarNesebar is an ancient town and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located in Burgas Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Nesebar Municipality...
and its environs.
Constantine Tikh Asen
The coinage of that ruler is distinguished by its variety, the use of new iconographic types and the precise engraving.- Billon coins
- First type: Obverse - Christ Emanuil; reverse - the Emperor in 3/4 length.
- Second type: Obverse - large Latin Cross; reverse - the Emperor on a throne without back, inscription in Bulgarian "Konstantin, Tsar Asen".
- Third type: Obverse - Christ Ubrus and ligature inscription "Jesus Christ"; reverse - the Emperor on horseback, inscription in Bulgarian "Konstantin, Tsar Asen". For the first time in Bulgarian coins the ruler is depicted on a horse. The iconographic type "Urbus" (Mandylion) is unique for Byzantine-Slavonic coinage.
- Forth type: Obverse - Christ Pantocrator; reverse - the Emperor on horseback with inscription in Bulgarian "Constantine, Tsar Asen".
- Fifth type: Obverse - Virgin Mary Hagioritissa; reverse - the Emperor upright holding a scepter in his right hand. Weight - 3,04 g; diameter - 26,25 mm. There are few preserved coins of that type.
- Sixth type: Obverse - Christ Pantocrator; reverse - the Emperor upright.
- Seventh type: Obverse - SeraphSeraphA seraph is a type of celestial being in Judaism and Christianity...
with six wings; reverse - half-length portrait of the Emperor holding a labrium in his right hand and a sphere with a cross in his left hand. The depiction of a six-winged seraph is unique for the Medieval Bulgarian coinage. It is still not proved that this type of coin belongs to Constantine Tikh AsenConstantine Tikh of BulgariaConstantine I , which includes the shortened form of the name of his father as a patronymic), ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1257 to 1277....
(1257-1277) because the inscription of the preserved item is damaged and only the word "Tsar" can be read.
George I Terter
- Billon coins: Obverse - Christ on a throne; reverse - George I TerterGeorge I of BulgariaGeorge Terter I ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1280-1292. The date of his birth is unknown, and he died in 1308/1309.The reign of George Terter I represents a continuation of Bulgaria's precipitous decline during the second half of the 13th century...
(1280–1292) and his son Theodore SvetoslavTheodore Svetoslav of BulgariaTheodore Svetoslav ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1300 to 1322. The date of his birth is unknown. He was a wise and capable ruler who brought stability and relative prosperity to the Bulgarian Empire after two decades of constant Mongol intervention in the internal issues of the Empire...
as co-emperors. They are upright in full length holding together a flag or a cross.
Theodore Svetoslav
Theodore Svetoslav (1300–1321) was the first Bulgarian ruler who minted silver coins called aspra (from Greek aspron, meaning "white").- Silver coins: Frontage - Christ Pantocrator sitting on a throne; reverse - the Emperor upright holding a cross, and inscription in Bulgarian "Svetoslav, Tsar of the Bulgarians". Its weight is 1,53 G. There three emissions of that type which differ in the quality of the engraving.
- Billon coins: Frontage - large Latin Cross; reverse - the Emperor on a horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
. The depiction resembles that of Constantine Tikh but is without the waving mantle. There are two emissions made by different engravers. The inscriptions are in Bulgarian and abbreviated and say: "Theodore" and "Svetoslav Theodore".
Michael Shishman
- Silver coins: Obverse - Christ Pantocrator sitting on a throne with high back; reverse - the Emperor on horseback, with inscription "Michael Tsar". Many of the coins of Michael ShishmanMichael Shishman of BulgariaMichael Asen III ), ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1323 to 1330. The exact year of his birth is unknown but it was between 1280 and 1292. He was the founder of the last ruling dynasty of the Second Bulgarian Empire, the Shishman dynasty...
(1323–1330) were later re-minted as coins of Ivan AlexanderIvan Alexander of BulgariaIvan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history...
(1331–1371).
Ivan Alexander
- Silver coins:
- First type: Obverse - Christ Pantocrator sitting on a throne; on the reverse, the Emperor upright holding a scepter and a sphere with a cross. There is an inscription in Bulgarian "Alexander, Tsar of the Bulgarians". There are several varieties depending on their weight and the engraving.
- Second type: Obverse - Christ upright in full-length, blessing with two hands; reverse - Ivan Alexander and his son Micheal Asen together holding a flag. That is the most common Medieval Bulgarian coin which is often discovered during archaeological excavations. The names of the two co-Emperors are written in monogramMonogramA monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a...
s. On some of the coins there are marks of the WallachiaWallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
n Prince Vladislav IVladislav I of WallachiaVladislav I of the Basarab dynasty, also known as Vlaicu-Vodă, was a ruler of the principality of Wallachia . He was a vassal of the Bulgarian Emperor Ivan Alexander. In 1369 Vladislav I subdued Vidin and recognised Louis I of Hungary as his overlord in return for Severin, Amlaş, and Făgăraş...
. That ruler did not mint his own coins and used the coinage of his suzerain Ivan Alexander, adding his signs.
- Copper coins:
Some of the copper coins of Ivan Alexander are hollow (stamini) and others are flat (asarioni).
- First type: Obverse - a monogram of Ivan Alexander; reverse - the Emperor on a horse.
- Second type: Obverse - a monogram of Ivan Alexander; reverse - the Emperor upright in full length holding a scepter and a sphere with cross.
- Third type: Obverse - monograms of the name and the title of Ivan Alexander; on the reverse, the Emperor upright in 3/4 length.
- Forth type: Obverse - a depiction of a castleCastleA castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
with three towers and inscription in Bulgarian "Tarnovo"; on the reverse - Ivan Alexander and his son Michael Asen holding a flag. These are the most common Bulgarian copper coins from the Middle Ages. The stylized image of the capital can be seen only there and is used in the contemporary coat-of-arms of Veliko TarnovoVeliko TarnovoVeliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
. - Fifth type: Obverse - a tridentTridentA trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
-shaped monogram resembling the monograms of Michael Shishman; on the reverse, Ivan Alexander and Michael Asen holding together a cross. - Sixth type: Obverse - monograms the name and the title of the monarch; on the reverse - Ivan Alexander and Empress TheodoraTheodora of WallachiaTheodora of Wallachia was the daughter of Basarab I of Wallachia and Lady Margareta. She married Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria as his first wife. This marriage produced four children — Michael Asen, Ivan Sratsimir, Ivan Asen and Vasilisa. In 1345 Tsar Ivan Alexander divorced Tsaritsa Theodora and...
together holding a cross. There are three varieties of that common coin. - Seventh type: Obverse - Christ Pantocrator on a throne; on the reverse, Archangel Michael. Due to the lack of the ruler's name it is not proved whether it belongs to Ivan Alexander's coinage. There are theories that it was minted by Michael II AsenMichael Asen I of BulgariaMichael II Asen of Bulgaria , ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1246 to 1256. He was the son of Ivan Asen II and his third wife Irene Komnene of Epirus , daughter of Theodore I Ducas of the Despotate of Epirus...
. - Eight type: Obverse - a cross with acanthine leaves; on the reverse - Ivan Alexander upright in full length. There are several varieties which differ in the weights and the quality of engraving.
- Ninth type: Obverse - a cross with acanthine leaves; on the reverse - a double-headed eagleDouble-headed eagleThe double-headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology. It is most commonly associated with the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the Emperor and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and...
. It is not proven whether these coins belong to Ivan Alexander. The engraving is of very high quality. - Tenth type: Obverse - an Orthodox crossOrthodox crossThe Orthodox Cross is a variation of the Christian cross and is commonly found in Eastern Orthodox Churches. The cross has three horizontal crossbeams, the top representing the plate with INRI, and the bottom, a footrest...
; on the reverse, a monogram-trident identical to that in the copper coin of the Emperor and his son Michael Asen.
Michael Asen
- Silver coins:
- First type: Obverse - Christ on a throne; on the reverse - Michael Asen and Saint StephenSaint StephenSaint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
upright holding a flag. The coin somewhat resembles the VenetianRepublic of VeniceThe Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
ducatDucatThe ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
s. The names of the Prince and the Saint are written in different ways in the different varieties of the coin. The weight is from 1.40 g to 1.90 g. - Second type: Obverse - Christ on a throne; on the reverse - Michael Asen and his wife Irina holding a flag. According to some researchers, the coins are from Michael II Asen and his mother Irina Komnina. There are two varieties of that coin. In the second variety Michael Asen and his wife hold a cross instead of a flag. The inscription is in Bulgarian and says "Irina Tsaritsa, Mihail Tsar". The weight varies from 1,50 G to 1,80 G.
- Copper coins:
- First type: Obverse - Bust of Christ Pantocrator; on the reverse - Michael Asen upright in full length with inscription in Bulgarian "Mihail Tsar". That coin in considered as part of Michael Asen's coinage due to the similarities of the engraving technique with the coins of Ivan Alexander.
- Second type: Obverse - monogram-trident; on the reverse, Michael Asen on a horse. According to some research, the coin is of Michael Shishman.
Sources
- "Българските средновековни монети" - Стоян Авдев, издателство "БЕСИКЕ", София 2007 г.
- "Българските монети" - Христо Божков, Венцислав Пейков, издателство "Борина", София 1993 г.