The office is known only from two Bulgarian royal acts: the Rila chrysobull, a solemn charter authenticated with a gold seal, and the Vitosha Charter of Tsar Ivan Shishman. In their lists of officials, the title appears in the form “perpirake.” No individual holder is named, and the limited evidence does not establish when the office was created or when it disappeared.
The name is a Slavic phonetic form of the Byzantine ὑπερπυράκης (hyperpyrakēs). It is connected with the ὑπέρπυρον, or hyperpyron, known elsewhere in the Balkans as the perper. This coin or monetary unit occurs frequently in Serbian acts and is also mentioned in the Virgin and Zograf charters, demonstrating its use in Bulgaria. In the Virgin Charter, “perper” additionally denotes a fiscal obligation listed alongside other levies. The perperak is therefore generally understood as the Bulgarian counterpart of a Byzantine official responsible for collecting monetary taxes. The evidence is insufficient, however, to determine whether the Bulgarian office reproduced its Byzantine model in every respect.
Evidence from neighbouring states supports this interpretation. In a charter of Tsar Stefan Dušan dated 1347–1350, “perperak” refers not to an official but to a state levy from which monastic dependants were exempted. The two usages are compatible: the Serbian act names the charge, whereas the Bulgarian charters identify the officer responsible for it. Wallachian charters from the fifteenth century onward mention a tax called “perper,” whose name derived from the Byzantine and later Ragusan coin.
It chiefly affected commercial goods and produce, particularly wine and fish; the corresponding Moldavian levy was called “leul pe bute.” These parallels suggest that the Bulgarian perperak may have been concerned not only with tax collection but also with the fiscal supervision of the market, although direct Bulgarian evidence for such a broader role is lacking.
The perperak’s position in lists of officeholders suggests that he enjoyed substantial standing within the local fiscal administration. He appears sixth in the Rila chrysobull and seventh in the Vitosha Charter. Among officials with fiscal duties he is placed particularly high, although separate account must be taken of the praktor, another agent involved in collecting state dues. The order does not prove a precise court hierarchy, but it indicates that the perperak was not a minor collector. No insignia, official seals, or coins associated with the office are known, and no individual holder can be identified by name.
The office is known from only two Bulgarian royal acts: the Rila chrysobull, a solemn charter sealed with gold, and the Vitosha Charter of Tsar Ivan Shishman. In the lists of officials in these documents, the title appears as “perpirake.” No one who held the office is named, and the surviving evidence does not tell us when the post was created or when it came to an end.
The word itself is a Slavic way of saying the Byzantine ὑπερπυράκης (hyperpyrakēs). It is linked to the ὑπέρπυρον, or hyperpyron, a coin known elsewhere in the Balkans as the perper. This coin, or money unit, appears often in Serbian acts and is also mentioned in the Virgin and Zograf charters, showing that it was used in Bulgaria. In the Virgin Charter, “perper” also means a tax payment listed together with other dues. For that reason, the perperak is usually taken to be the Bulgarian version of a Byzantine official in charge of collecting money taxes. Even so, the evidence is too thin to say whether the Bulgarian office matched its Byzantine model in every detail.
Support for this reading also comes from neighboring states. In a charter of Tsar Stefan Dušan dated 1347–1350, “perperak” does not mean an official at all, but a state tax from which monastic dependants were exempted. The two uses fit together well: the Serbian act names the tax, while the Bulgarian charters name the person who collected it. From the fifteenth century onward, Wallachian charters mention a tax called “perper,” a name taken from the Byzantine coin and later the Ragusan coin.
This tax mainly fell on goods for trade and on produce, especially wine and fish; the similar Moldavian levy was called “leul pe bute.” These comparisons suggest that the Bulgarian perperak may have done more than just collect taxes. He may also have watched over the fiscal side of the market, though there is no direct Bulgarian proof for such a wider role.
The perperak’s place in the lists of officials suggests that he held a fairly important position in the local fiscal administration. He is listed sixth in the Rila chrysobull and seventh in the Vitosha Charter. Among officials with financial duties, he stands especially high, though the praktor, another official involved in collecting state dues, must also be taken into account. The ranking does not show an exact court hierarchy, but it does show that the perperak was not a low-level collector. No badges, official seals, or coins linked to the office are known, and no holder can be identified by name.
This office is known only from two Bulgarian royal charters: the Rila chrysobull and Tsar Ivan Shishman’s Vitosha Charter. No person is named as holding it, and we do not know when the office began or when it ended.
It was probably a tax office. The name seems linked to a coin used in the Balkans, so the official likely collected money taxes. Similar evidence from nearby lands suggests it may also have dealt with taxes on goods sold in markets. In the charters, this office is placed fairly high in the list of officials, so it was not a minor job.