200 Years Since the Publishing of the Fish Primer Silver Medal, 46.65g

200 Years Since the Publishing of the Fish Primer Silver Medal, 46.65g

249.00 BGN

Bulmint’s first medal with an antiquated finish commemorates the milestone anniversary of the publishing of the first schoolbook written in modern Bulgarian. It is minted from 46.65 g of 999.9 fine silver – a limited edition of only 200 pieces, each bearing a unique number.

Specifications

History

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In 2024 the Bulgarian people celebrate 200 years since the publishing of the first schoolbook written in modern Bulgarian – the Primer with Various Instructions, better known as the “Fish Primer”. To honour the date, we created a commemorative medal with a very limited mintage of only 200 pieces.

The 200 Years Since the Publishing of the Fish Primer silver medal is Bulmint’s first ever product with an antiquated finish - a reference to the age of this priceless piece of Bulgaria’s cultural inheritance. It is minted from 46.65 grams (1.5 oz) of 999.9 fine silver, in a diameter of 45 mm. Each piece carries a unique number from 001 to 200.

The obverse recreates the famous illustrations from the last pages of the textbook. A portrait of the author - Petar Beron – stands in the background, depicted as a silhouette in a side-profile view. The year the textbook was published is juxtaposed against the year of the milestone anniversary in the left half of the composition, and on the right side, its official title is spelled out in its original font from the title page.

The centrepiece of the reverse is the famous illustration of a whale, which many claim to have inspired the monicker Fish Primer. The name of the medal is spelled out in an artful font, and the composition is further enhanced through more illustrations from the textbook, as well as the letters of the Bulgarian alphabet.

The 200 Years Since the Publishing of the Fish Primer silver medal comes in a stylish eco leather box in thematic packaging that also serves as the product’s certificate of authenticity.

Metal Fine Silver
Weight 46.65 g
Purity 999.9/1000
Edging Smooth
Quality Antiqued finish
Circulation 200 pcs.
Diameter 45 mm

About Dr. Petar Beron

One of the most prominent Bulgarian revivalists and a patron of education and science with priceless contributions to the enlightenment of the nation, Petar Beron was born around 1799 in Kotel. He was highly educated – first in his hometown, then in Transylvania. With the financial support of a Romanian patron of the arts of Bulgarian descent - Anton Yovanovich - he published the famous Fish Primer in 1824 in Brashov. Once again under the patronage of Yovanovich, he studied medicine in Germany.

Once he completed his education, he was a practicing physician in Bucharest and Craiova for a number of years, but soon founded a successful business that allowed him to dedicate himself to that for which he is remembered to this day – the development of education in Bulgaria. Petar Beron’s mission is best exemplified in his own appeal at the end of his Fish Primer: “We must make every effort to publish as many books in our language as possible, to ensure the education of our people, for it is high time that this unenlightened age devoid of knowledge came to an end. Let God spread a dedication to this cause amongst our brethren so that knowledge may thrive within our fatherland.”

With a combination of entrepreneurship, hard work and frugality, Petar Beron accumulated considerable wealth, but lived modestly, and put all of his earnings towards helping the Bulgarian people. Over 20 schools were founded with his funding, mainly in the region around Kotel, Shumen, and Razgrad. He is also remembered for his progressive views. Among the educational institutions that benefitted from his donations were all-girls’ schools. Notably, he was decidedly against the mistreatment of students that was commonly practiced by teachers in those days, which prompted him to appeal to his contemporaries to aim to inspire a love for learning instead. He popularised the Lancasterian Monitorial System of Education – a new beginning for Bulgarian schools that would drive them in a more secular direction.

Today, Petar Beron is among the artists and enlighteners whose faces are immortalised onto Bulgaria’s paper money. His image adorns the 10-lev banknote.

About the Fish Primer

Officially called the Primer with Various Instructions, it was the first schoolbook written in modern Bulgarian. While it was called a primer, it was predominantly encyclopedic and heavily focused on instilling values. The textbook is divided into eight sections containing information about the Bulgarian alphabet and language, Christian prayers, questions and answers about the proper way to bring up children, fables, educational stories, an encyclopedic section with information about household necessities and animals from all over the world, and a section on arithmetics.

It is said that the name “Fish Primer” is based on the illustrations at the end of the textbook, the most famous of which are those of two aquatic mammals – a whale and a dolphin.

We ship our orders with Econt Express. The cost of delivery is at the customer's expense and includes insurance, cash on the delivery fee, if applicable, and courier service. The total delivery cost is formed based on the chosen method of payment and the method of delivery.

Orders received by 3 p.m. on working days and chosen payment method cash on delivery or credit card are processed and shipped on the same day. Orders received after 3 p.m. or during the weekend, are processed and despatched on the next working day.

Each shipment has the "Check" option. In case the customer decides to return the order, the delivery and return costs are at the expense of the customer.

You can also get your order from the Bulmint showroom in Plovdiv at 24 Otets Paisiy Str. or in Sofia аt 1 Oborishte Str.

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Storage of investment products and medals with numismatic value

Owners of gold and silver products with the Bulmint brand should take into account some specific storage conditions. Gold and silver are precious metals, which are very soft and easy to bend/deform. The products must be kept in a place of low humidity where the temperature does not exceed 50 degrees Celsius, in order not to impair the integrity of the package. Please do not use a sharp object on the package or the product itself – you risk damaging it.

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