1938 Belgium 20 Francs

The 1938 Belgian 20 Francs gold coin was struck just months before Belgium's declaration of neutrality in the face of Nazi aggression, a quiet irony in a turbulent year.

Weighing 6.45 grams with 0.900 fine gold content, it features King Leopold III's profile on the obverse and the Belgian coat of arms on the reverse. The design echoes earlier franc patterns, but this issue reflects the economic policies of the 1930s, when gold standards were crumbling across Europe. Mintage figures aren't precisely recorded; archives from that era were scattered during the war.

Production occurred at the Brussels Mint, using gold likely sourced from colonial reserves in the Congo. I've handled dozens of these over three decades, and they still show the wear of history, not hype. As for myths about their rarity, let's just say not every coin is a relic—some are just coins.