The medal that wanted to be coin (S & T)

[Figleaf]

You have heard of the Prince of Wales, but did you know that Duke of Brabant is a similar title? The duchy of Brabant has long been split up and is now a Belgian and a Dutch administrative unit, but the title endures. It is given to the crown prince of Belgium, so that even today, there is a Duke of Brabant.

When a Duke of Brabant gets married, the dynasty is an important step closer to prolonging itself to the next generation. Thus, when Leopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor, duke of Brabant married Marie Henriette Anne von Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria, the country threw a party for itself. Part of the celebrations were gold, silver and bronze medals showing the newlyweds with the regular portrait of their father(-in-law) on the other side. On his own coins, Leo had a full length beard. On the medal, he still has a naked chin. There was little love lost between father and son. Could he have grown a beard in order to look less like his father?

The duke of Brabant went on to become one of Belgium's most controversial kings: Leopold II. Controversial because he exploited the Belgian Congo (now Za?re) as his private property, thereby becoming personally responsible for the massacres and horrible abuses that took place during his reign.

The picture shows a silver medal. It's pretty clear that it has seen circulation. In fact, it circulated for 5 francs. Many of the bronze pieces also circulated. So what are they? Coins or medals? Since they circulated, as far as I'm concerned, they are money and they belong in my collection. Enough controversy for you?

Peter

[bart]

Indeed these medals have circulated. They were not proclaimed legal tender, but were issued to the standard of the existing coins: the silver one being issued as a 5 francs piece,the bronze medal as a 10 centimes piece.
I consider these medals more as "real coins", since they really circulated, than most of the legal tender NCLT, which you will never find in circulation; hence you cannot consider them "circulation money".

By the way, the present duke of Brabant is prince Philip, eldest son of king Albert II.

Bart

[belg_jos]

There is also a rare 100 Francs in this series, struck in gold. Only 482 pcs were struck. If you would purchase one, be carefull, because there were many restrikes, that only differ in the absence of the dot or dash between 21 and 22.

I'll add some pictures of the gold and copper one.

Jos

[Figleaf]

Are you saying that the gold piece could have circulated for 100 F or that it did circulate for 100 F (i.e. that you have seen copies of the gold piece that had worn from circulation? With only 482 pieces struck, it looks more like a precious gift, e.g. for wedding guests, than a circulation piece. Not that I intended to buy the gold piece anyway. It's a little above my budget

The 10 cent you are showing is a also real beauty. You can see Leo looks straight ahead. On my silver piece he seems to be shy and looking down, while Mary seems to have fun.

Peter

[belg_jos]

No, the 100 F pieces didn't circulate. They were struck as medals. They are however in the right dimensions for being a 100 F 'coin', but they didn't get spend. The ones I've seen come up for sale, are all in uncirculated (or near so) condition. The price on these can rise to 4000 euro. Maybe above some of our budgets?

[bart]

I acquired a 10 centime medal today. I am very glad to own one at least.

bart

[Figleaf]

Congratulations, Bart. They are sturdy coins in a relatively soft metal, so they damage easily. You got an excellent looking piece.

Peter

[Rangnath]

Nice coin and a better story Bart. 
If we can accept this as a coin, does that mean then that it can be displayed as either a medal or a coin?  Why not, I say in answer to my own question. 
Some of us might need two of them, one for each collection of coins and medals. 
richie

[Aernout]

This copper medal exist also in a small date and large variation.

mvg,
Aernout

[bart]

Here's another example of a circulating medal: a copper medal struck in 1856 for the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of king Leopold I. This medal circulated with a value of 5 centimes. As you can see the medal I own shows wear because it really circulated. Of this medal also a silver (2 francs) and gold (40 francs) version were issued but, seeing the low mintages for these medals (about 14.000 for the silver version, Dutch and French version together and only 449 for the gold version) I suppose these didn't make it into circulation.

[bagerap]

Thank you,
I've had this for two years without knowing too much about it.

[bart]

Yours is in much better condition than mine. 

[Figleaf]

But I still see Belgium trying to murder its king with a goose feather

Peter

[bart]

Well... it didn't work (Belgium had better used something more useful than a goose feather), so we are now stuck with prince Philip and prince Laurent...   

[malj1]

They do say 'the pen is mightier than the sword'.