Obverse: the obverse depicts the coat of arms of the People's Republic of Bulgaria featuring a lion on a shield surrounded by wheat ears and a star. The inscriptions “People's Republic of Bulgaria”, the denomination “5 Leva”, and the year 1970 appear around the design.
Reverse: the reverse features a portrait of Ivan Vazov. Surrounding the portrait are his name and the years of his life, “1850–1921”.
About the coin: this silver coin commemorates Ivan Vazov, one of Bulgaria's most prominent writers and poets, often referred to as the “Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature”. He is best known for his novel Under the Yoke as well as numerous poems, short stories, and plays that shaped Bulgarian national identity and culture.