Bulgarians continue to embrace the use of coins, as evidenced by the latest figures from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). The total number of coins in circulation reached 3,315,164,574 units as of the end of September, showing growth both compared to August and on an annual basis. This marks the highest quantity of coins in the country since the BNB began tracking this data, with numbers remaining stable above 3 billion over the past two years.
The BNB has monitored this information since December 1999, when the initial count revealed only 243,732,077 coins in circulation. In September 2023, the smallest denominations-1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 cents-accounted for the majority of coins, totaling 919,683,951 pieces. Although these coins are becoming less useful for purchases, they still play a role in everyday transactions, with some customers meticulously counting pennies to make their purchases. Retailers, on the other hand, appreciate the occasional unexpected bonus when customers forgo their change.
The least common coin is the 2 leva piece, which has been in circulation since December 2015, with a total of 95,199,674 units recorded in September. The 1 leva coin, introduced in September 2002 to replace paper notes, saw 197,219,936 pieces in circulation. The total value of coins available in September was 615,337,961 leva, reflecting an increase compared to both August and the previous year. In contrast, the initial value of coins in circulation was only 16,695,492 leva back in December 1999.
Additionally, the number of counterfeit coins discovered during the third quarter was the lowest recorded this year, with just 11 fakes identified as of the end of September. This is down from 22 in the second quarter and 30 in the first quarter. The most frequently counterfeited coins remain the 2 leva pieces, with six fakes found, along with two counterfeit 50-cent coins and three 1 leva coins. (Novinite)