Bulgaria 1 Centime 'Small Lion' Definitive

Bulgaria · 1881 · 1 Centime

This definitive stamp features the Bulgarian coat of arms, a crowned rampant lion, enclosed within an ornate circular frame. The denomination '1' is displayed in numerals at the top corners, with the Cyrillic text for 'Bulgarian Post' and 'Centime' surrounding the central design. This was part of the second definitive series issued by the Principality of Bulgaria.

Issued in 1881, this stamp represents the early postal system of the newly autonomous Principality of Bulgaria, which had gained de facto independence from the Ottoman Empire just a few years earlier in 1878.