5000 Leva

Bulgaria's fiscal position in 1924 was still badly distorted by the reparations burden imposed under the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Mer, and the high denominations of this period reflect genuine monetary stress rather than routine inflationary adjustment. The 5000 Leva was a substantial sum for most Bulgarians at the time of issue.

Hristo Lozev, who handled design work for several Bulgarian state printing commissions in this period, produced this note domestically — the Държавна печатница had by the early 1920s developed sufficient intaglio capability to reduce the foreign printing contracts that had characterized earlier Bulgarian issues. The watermark remains the sole mechanical security feature.