Belgium 20 Francs Gold

The 20 Francs gold coin from Belgium's Leopold II era was fully interchangeable with French and Swiss currency under the Latin Monetary Union, allowing it to cross borders as easily as a traveler with the right passport.

That design choice reflected Brussels' practical approach to coinage. The obverse typically featured Leopold II's portrait, stern and mustachioed, while the reverse showed the Belgian coat of arms flanked by the denomination. Most were struck at the Brussels mint using 0.900 fine gold, though exact sources of the metal remain murky—records from that period aren't always reliable.

Variations exist by year; for instance, later issues under Albert I after 1909 altered the portrait subtly. Mintage figures vary widely, with some years scarce due to economic shifts, but I won't guess at numbers lost to time.

As for myths, I've heard tales of these coins funding colonial exploits, but that's likely exaggerated—history is messier than that.