Belgian error

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Fake 2 euro coin in Brugge turns out to be error
JV/GW, 15th July 2011

Brugge - The case of the counterfeit euro coins in Brugge seems solved. Early this year, a false coin of two euros surfaced in a catering business in Bruges. The central part of the coin was nickel. The piece was too light to be used in a machine, but the difference with a genuine two-euro coin was minimal otherwise.

Now, research shows that early this year a production error of 2 euro coins was made. There is therefore no question of evil intent or counterfeiting. The Bruges prosecutor's investigation is now closed.

Source: WTV

[chrisild]

Interesting! Just saw an article at nieuwsblad.be according to which those pieces were made by the mint in Brussels. Now the big question is, how many of them were made, or rather left the mint? (And what is my chance of getting one? )

Christian

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Even more important, how do you recognize one?

Peter

[chrisild]

Well, as long as you have eyes to see ... At least that is my assumption. The Nieuwsblad article (which I found after reading your initial post here) says: "De uitbater van de zaak gaf de munt aan de politie omdat het geen koperkleurig binnenstuk bevat, zoals dat bij echte munten het geval is. Het bestond volledig uit nikkel." So that error piece would not be bi-color like a regular €2 coin. My guess is that the photo used with the WTV article is simply a "generic" one.

Christian

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Right! The errors are not bimetallic, but they do have two parts. Well, that's a striking error Every Johnny Newbie can spot it, so I guess there's no hope you'll find it in your change one happy day. It'll be interesting to see if/how they turn up on the usual auction sites and how many of those will have a painted pill

I have already seen our member belg_jos offering "a multiple of the face value"...

Peter

[belg_jos]

You never know one pops up

Jos

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The article says the error was found "early this year". Isn't it a bit late to expect new ones to come out of circulation, Jos? Have you had offers already? In the UK, the error would have been described as sensational and prices would have touched the sky. Doesn't that happen in Belgium?

Peter

[belg_jos]

No crazy things like that over here...

Couple of hundred euro, and that will be about it. I collect error coins during a decade now, and it still amazes me that these aren't more popular.

Jos

[andyg]

In the UK, the error would have been described as sensational and prices would have touched the sky. Doesn't that happen in Belgium?

It doesn't happen in the UK either much, spectacular striking errors sell for maybe £25-£50 on ebay, undated 20p of which there are probably 100,000 sell for about the same amount.

[FosseWay]

The undated 20p error was first reported in late 2008 in Coin News and other collector-oriented news outlets. It wasn't till the following summer that it made the mainstream press and you started to see the silly sums on eBay.

But I agree that this is less likely to be encountered in change, because it's instantly recognisable and unmistakable. The 20p remains in circulation because even an identifying feature like 'it has no date' seems to be open to misinterpretation -- hence all the people who get a 1982-2008 Rose 20p and point to the absence of a date on the obverse. (I'm talking about misguided members of the public here, not the shysters deliberately trying to fleece people on eBay.)