Belgian coins just before the euro

[Aernout]

Please, can you say a few more words about this? Did it work?

v.

If ants follow a fixed route, for example, at home you can get them to send another side with copper (pieces of a half francs).

Did it work?
For a while. 

mvg,
Aernout

[villa66]

Thanks.

v.

[Enlil]

But why was no 10 Fr issued in the 80's and 90's?

[Aernout]

I found this answer in Dutch of the Newpaper GVA.

En ook de Elström-10 frank was geen lang leven beschoren: al in 1979, na amper 10 jaar gediend te hebben, werd hij uit de handel genomen. Niet omwille van de 10-frankvloek of omdat men hem niet wou gebruiken, maar omdat op 10 jaar tijd de waarde van het nikkel waaruit de betrekkelijk grote munt gemaakt was, enorm gestegen was in prijs. Zodanig zelfs dat de intrinsieke waarde van de munt groter was geworden dan de nominale waarde. De productiekosten erbij gerekend betekende dat met andere woorden: die 10 frank was eigenlijk meer waard dan 10 frank. Een kostelijke operatie dus voor de Koninklijke Munt, die de productie daarom stopzette. Hetzelfde gebeurde steevast met zilveren munten.


Thanks to Google translate

And the Elström-10 francs was short-lived: already in 1979, after only 10 years to have served, he was taken off the market. Not because of the 10-franc curse or because he did not want to, but because in 10 years the value of the nickel which the relatively large coin was made, had skyrocketed in price. So much so that the intrinsic value of the currency had become greater than the nominal value. The production meant that there counted in other words, that 10 francs was actually worth more than 10 francs. A costly operation, so the Royal Mint, who produce therefore stopped. The same happened invariably with silver coins.

mvg,
Aernout

[Enlil]

Thanks Aernout, but they could have just changed the metal, but as you would need only 3*5fr coins max for change of 20 fr, then I see why it would not hurt to remove the denomination.

[bart]

The government chose to change the popular 20 francs treasury-notes by coins in 1982.
After the change you had coins of 50 centimes, 1 franc, 5 francs and 20 francs, so there was no specific need anymore for 10 francs-denominated coins.

Some years later the 50 francs treasury-notes were also changed by coins.

[villa66]

The government chose to change the popular 20 francs treasury-notes by coins in 1982.

Were the 20-franc coins popular? Or maybe they were disliked because they had replaced a popular note?

v.

[FosseWay]

They certainly weren't shunned by the public (in the way that $1 coins are in the States and £1 coins were for a time in Scotland) in the 80s and 90s when I visited Belgium a few times. Something that is notable about them, though, is that they were minted in relatively few years. The only dates of the first type (with King Baudouin/Boudewijn) that I've ever found, in circulation or otherwise, have been 1980, 81 and 82. They were minted from 1989 to 1993 as well but only in very low quantities (sets only perhaps?). I'm less sure about the commonness of the Albert pieces (1994 on) - all I know is that I only have one of each language, both 1994, but that may simply be due to a failure to visit Belgium that often in the years immediately before the euro.

[bart]

These coins were widely used. Indeed, most of them were from 1980,'81 and '82. Also, the coins of Albert II were frequently found in circulation, but less frequently than those of king Baudouin. Mintage numbers reflect their frequency: about 350 million for Baudouin, 1980-1993, both languages counted, and 55 million for Albert II, 1994-2001, both languages counted.

As the notes were withdrawn, these coins were the only denomination between 5 francs (coin) and 50 francs (note until the end of the 80's, replaced then by a coin), so that there was a real need for them in circulation.

[villa66]

Thanks for the info. I too remember them being common in circulation. I was just wondering whether there was any resentment to speak of because they had displaced the (perhaps iconic? but certainly very familiar) 20-franc note.  Sounds like not.

I liked the 20-franc coin on sight. Good size, and heft, with both dimensions appropriate to their value. Liked the alloy of these coins too, which was a nice steady color, and never too far from the as-struck original.

Thanks again.

v.

[<k>]

If you look at these earlier Belgian coins, from 1950 through to 1980, you'll see that the style of design is very Latin - or French. Not surprising, considering that the French-speaking Walloons had been in the ascendant for so long. And of course, the currency itself was the franc, divided into 100 centimes.

Looking at the images at the top of this thread, it is clear that the design style is now much closer to the Dutch, and by this time, the Flemings were now in the ascendant, so that is no coincidence, perhaps. The euro designs, too, look far more Dutch than French.