1 ruble — USSR (1981) — Soviet-Bulgarian Friendship

Photo: Numista
Non-commercial use only

Special facts

A 1981 rouble honouring Soviet–Bulgarian friendship, issued for the 1300th anniversary of the Bulgarian state. In 681 Khan Asparukh founded the First Bulgarian Empire, and Bulgaria was then the USSR’s closest ally. The “1300 Years of Bulgaria” monument opened in Sofia for the anniversary; the rouble’s mintage was about 2 million. It is one of the few Soviet coins devoted to another country.

About the period

The currency reform of 1961 was a 10-to-1 redenomination: from 1 January 1961 old money was exchanged for new money of one tenth the face value. The coins and banknotes of the 1961 pattern circulated until the end of the Soviet Union. More about the period “1961 Monetary Reform”, 1961 — 1991

Coins and banknotes of this year: 1981

Other items of the period

• 1967
• 50 kopecks (1967) — October Revolution Y# 139
• 1 ruble (1967) — October Revolution Y# 140
• 1970
• 1 ruble (1970) — Vladimir Lenin Y# 141
• 1975
• 1 ruble (1975) — Victory in the Great Patriotic War Y# 142
• 1977
• 1 ruble (1977) — October Revolution Y# 143
• 1 ruble (1977) — Olympic Emblem Y# 144
• 1978
• 1 ruble (1978) — Kremlin Y# 153
• 1979
• 1 ruble (1979) — University Y# 164
• 1 ruble (1979) — Monument to the Conquerors of Space Y# 165
• 1980
• 1 ruble (1980) — Yury Dolgoruky Monument Y# 177
• 1 ruble (1980) — Olympic Flame Y# 178
• 1981
• 1 ruble (1981) — Gagarin's Spaceflight Y# 188
• 1 ruble (1981) — Soviet-Bulgarian Friendship Y# 189
• 1982
• 1 ruble (1982) — Soviet Union Y# 190
• 1983
• 1 ruble (1983) — Karl Marx Y# 191
• 1 ruble (1983) — First Woman in Space Y# 192
• 1 ruble (1983) — Ivan Fyodorov Y# 193
• 1983–1985
• 1 ruble (1983–1985) — Friedrich Engels Y# 200
• 1984
• 1 ruble (1984) — Dmitri Mendeleyev Y# 194
• 1 ruble (1984) — Aleksandr Popov Y# 195
• 1984–1985
• 1 ruble (1984–1985) — Aleksandr Pushkin Y# 196
• 1985
• 1 ruble (1985) — Vladimir Lenin Y# 197
• 1 ruble (1985) — Victory in the Great Patriotic War Y# 198
• 1 ruble (1985) — 12th World Youth Festival Y# 199
• 1986
• 1 ruble (1986) — International Year of Peace Y# 201