# Bulgaria

With the exception of a public-access vending meter on trial in 1938, meters did not come into use until after World War 2. The stamps are grouped according to appearance and function:
       A - designs for general use during Soviet era, inscribed “BULGARIA”, “BULGARIE” or “БЬЛГАРИЯ”
       B - provisional issue, without country name in the frank
       C - stamps inscribed "HPБ"
       PO - stamps generated only from Post Office machines
       PV - public self-service vending machine stamps

## GROUP A: Stamps for general use, inscribed “BULGARIA” or “БЬЛГАРИЯ”

* A1. Francotyp “C” (MV), 1942 or earlier.      [$100]
* Horizontal frank with simulated perforation outer border.
* “БЬΛГАРИЯ⋅BULGARIE” at top.
* Lions rampant at sides.
* M# with “N$^o$” prefix in bottom panel.
* TM: SC
* V/F:      ◆0.00 (Gothic)
* a. “N$^o$” alone without meter number
* A2. Francotyp “Cc” (MV), 1959 or earlier.      [$5]
* Upright frank with simulated perforation outer border and straight line inner border.
* Coat of arms at top and “NR BULGARIA” at bottom.
* A. Wide spacing between TM and frank
* B. Narrow spacing between TM and frank
* TM: SC
* V/F:      00oo
* a. Printed in black
* A3. Krag (MV).      [$15]
* Upright frank with single-line border, scalloped at top and sides except in corners.
* “BULGARIA/ POST” at top, and “LEVA” at bottom.
* TM: SC
* V/F:      0000
* A4. Postalia “D2” (MV).      [$5]
* Frank with single simulated-perforation border.
* Coat of arms at top, “НР БЬЛГАРИЯ” at bottom.
* TM: DC with inner circle concave at top and bottom.
* V/F:      000 ЛВ
* NOTE: After political changes in 1989 the small hammer and sickle appearing above the town name at the bottom of the town mark disappears.
* A4.1. Postalia “D2” (MV).
* Similar to Type A4 but with large post horn at top.
* “БЬЛГАРИЯ” at bottom with no other text in the stamp.
* So far seen printed only in black.
* TM: DC
* V/F:      000
* A5. Postalia “D2” (MV).
* Frank with double straight-line border.
* “България” at top is only inscription in the frank.
* TM: DC
* V/F:      000
* A6. Pitney Bowes-GB “5000” (MV).
* Horizontal frank with straight-line border and inner box around value figures.
* “POSTA” large at top with “NR BULGARIA” vertical at left and “НР БЬЛГАРИЯ” vertical at right.
* A. Meter number breaks bottom frame lines
* B. Solid bar breaks bottom frame lines
* C. Bottom frame lines unbroken
* TM: DC
* V/F:      ≋0.00
* A7. “Perm” (MV).
* Upright frank with eight dashes at each side.
* “БЪЛГАРИЯ” at top and “ЛЕВА” at bottom.
* Four wavy lines between TM and frank.
* Value figures stacked, date figures vertical.
* TM: BIC
* V/F:      0000
* A8. Postalia “D2” (MV).
* Frank with single simulated-perforation line border.
* “България” at top is the only inscription in the frank.
* TM: DC
* V/F:      0000
* A9. Pitney Bowes-GB “A/B900” (MV).
* “БЪПГАРCKA / ПOЩA” at top with posthorn logo to the left.
* “ЛЕВА” at bottom.
* Simulated-perforation line border at bottom and right.
* TM: SC
* V/F:      ≋00.00

## GROUP B: Frank without country inscription in frank, country name in the town mark

* B1. Krag (MV).      [$20]
* Upright frank completely unengraved.
* Inscribed “БЪЛГАРИЯ” at bottom of SC TM.
* V/F:      0000
* B2. “Perm” (MV).
* Frank consists of five stacked bars at sides with stacked value figures between.
* Fixed zero at bottom.
* Four wavy lines between TM and frank.
* TM: BIC
* V/F:      000+0

## GROUP C: Frank inscribed "HPБ"

* C1. “Perm” (MV).      [$10]
* Frank is upright octagon with "HPБ" at top and “ЛEBА” at bottom in negative lettering.
* Printed in red or black.
* Ten horizontal bars at each side.
* Value figures stacked, date figures vertical.
* Five wavy lines between TM and frank.
* TM: BIC
* V/F:      000
* C2. “Perm” (MV).      [$10]
* Similar to Type B2, but with "HPБ" at top and large “леба” at bottom.
* TM: BIC
* V/F:      000
* a. With “TAXE PERCUE” in the town mark. Although this means ‘Postage Due’, all examples seen were used to frank ordinary mail.
* b. With “ РБ“ alone at top, first character missing

## GROUP PO: Frank designs used only in Post Offices

* PO1. Appears to be Frama "M/E" (FV), 2009.
* Upright rectangle with boxed “БЪПГАРCKII / ПOЩИ” at top and meter number at bottom.
* Post horn logo at bottom centre.
* M# at bottom flanking post horn. (The meter number prefix is obscured in the example reported.)
* TM: DC
* V/F:      000.00 (narrow and thick)
* PO2. Appears to be Frama "EPS3000" (FV), 2009.
* As Type PO1 but value figures are smaller and a bit more widely spaced
* M# with "F22" prefix at bottom flanking post horn.
* TM: DC
* V/F:      00.00

## GROUP PV: Stamps from public access vending machines

* PV1. Unknown (FV), 1939.      [$150]
* Upright rectangle with “БЬЛГАРИЯ” at top and “2 ЛEBА 2” at bottom.
* Lion rampant in centre.
* Bi-color frank with black in the centre (vertically) and red on each side.
* Impression counter low between TM and frank.
* TM: SC
* One value only:      2
* PV2. “Perm” (FV), 1989.      [$35]
* From a machine used for franking Registered mail.
* Small upright frank with straight single-line border.
* Value at top above “CT” in the middle, and "ПЛАТЕНО" at bottom.
* Large boxed “R” and vertical number between frank and TM.
* Printed in black.
* TM: SC with box around date
* One value only:      5