acanthite
User is Offline
Joined: 08 May 2007
Posts: 261
Location: Western hemisphere
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| Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:08 pm Post subject: Bulgaria behind the curtain |
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Bulgaria had a rough time of it in the 20th century. Fought Turkey for Macedonia and lost, backed Germany in WW I, and then backed them again in WWII. Well, until the Soviets declared war on them, then in four days they decided to switch sides and subsequently disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. After emerging in 1989, the communist party (renamed as socialist) turned out to be the most powerful force in free elections.
Below is a 20 stotinki from 1974, composition nickel-brass. Obverse shows the coat of arms and the dates 681 and 1944. 681 AD is the year the Bulgarian state was recognized by Byzantium, and 1944 AD was the year Bulgaria threw in their lot with the USSR and threw out the Nazis. The text reads, in a modified form of cyrillic, 'Peoples Republic Bulgaria'.
Reverse reads '20 stotinki'
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