1860 Belgium 10 Centimes

The 1860 10 Centimes coin was struck using copper from Belgian mines, a practical choice that reflected the nation's industrial ambitions during Leopold I's reign.

Weighing about 9.5 grams and measuring 30 millimeters across, it features Leopold's profile on the obverse and the Belgian coat of arms on the reverse. Mintage figures for that year are murky; records from the Brussels mint were reportedly disorganized even then. What we know is that these coins circulated widely in daily transactions, helping stabilize the economy in a fledgling country.

One oddity: the edge is plain, which meant it was easy for counterfeiters to file down the metal. I suppose that's one way coins contributed to the era's entrepreneurial spirit.