site.btaBNB to Issue Collector Euro Coins After Bulgaria Joins Eurozone in 2026

Following Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone on January 1, 2026, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) will be authorized to issue collector euro coins, which until then it has issued as commemorative coins. The process will follow the 2012 EU regulation on the issuance of euro coins, BNB said on its website.

According to the applicable legal framework, collector euro coins hold the status of legal tender only in the issuing member state. Their face value will be denominated in euro, but it will differ from that of euro coins in general circulation, BNB explained.

In the context of Bulgaria’s upcoming eurozone entry, the BNB’s Coin Programme from 2026 onward will introduce coins with new technical specifications, such as denomination and the transition from the lev to the euro in its thematic series. The central bank emphasized that this marks a new stage in the development of its numismatic programme – on the one hand, featuring new coin series and individual issues, and on the other, ensuring continuity with established Bulgarian themes, symbols, and technical characteristics, while reflecting the adoption of the euro as Bulgaria’s legal tender.