Bulgaria is set to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, becoming the 21st member of the European Union to join the single currency area. In line with eurozone rules, the country has submitted its national designs for the reverse side of euro coins, which will enter circulation across Europe at the start of next year.
The €2 coin will feature Saint Paisius of Hilendar, a central figure of the Bulgarian National Revival and the author of History of Slavic Bulgaria.
The design includes the year of issue, the country name “Bulgaria” written in Bulgarian, and the word “EURO” in Cyrillic script, the European Central Bank said.
Lower-denomination coins will depict the Madara Horseman, an 8th-century rock relief and UNESCO World Heritage site symbolising Bulgaria’s historical legacy. These coins will also feature the year of issue, the country name in Bulgarian and the word “stotinki” (cents) written in Cyrillic. While euro coins allow for national symbols, euro banknotes remain uniform across the eurozone.
