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The paper offers a historical and theoretical analysis of the emission of local moneys (coins and banknotes) undertaken in various forms by Orthodox Christians in the Bulgarian provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The study has two main goals. First, to add to the discussion regarding the variety and complexity of monetary practices in a historical perspective. Second, to contribute to a better understanding and rethinking of the economic and social processes in the Ottoman Empire that helped it maintain its century-long stability. The topical importance of this type of studies can be found in other directions as well. First, given the growing role of civil society today and the mass spread of new information technologies, the creation of money and monetary relations become less centralized and the architecture of money becomes increasingly complex. Second, the crisis of the Eurozone, the common monetary project in Europe,sets the very urgent task of seeking new projects of monetary organization of the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]