Laureate Of The International Botev Prize.

[Taz]

The Hristo Botev Bulgarian International Laureate Prize medal of Literature, Linguistics and Art. 1st emission.
The prize was made by the Bulgarian Government Mint.
This prize was established in 1976 and its statute strictly says that it can be awarded only once every 5 years and then only to one Bulgarian and one foreigner.
The last award ceremony before communist rule fell was in 1986 and during that period only 6 people received this award prize.
After 1989 when democracy came to Bulgaria the awarding of this prize was temporarily stopped, but was started again during 1996. It was re-established with a State decree and was again awarded during 1996 and 2001 to 4 more people.
However, the new issues are different, as they no longer have the inscription People's Republic of Bulgaria on the reverse.
The prize is gold plated / gilded.
This high award has been given to the famous authors Umberto Eco and the Spanish exiled writer Rafael Alberti.

Eddie.