ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · Fouky · Public domain
1940 Belgium 1 Franc
Belgium
1940
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Specifications
| Country | Belgium |
| Years Minted | 1940 |
| Composition | Zinc |
| Weight | 2.5 g |
| Diameter | 20 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
Design
Obverse
Features the portrait of King Leopold III facing left with the inscription 'LEOPOLD III ROI DES BELGES'.
Reverse
Displays the denomination '1 Franc' surrounded by a wreath and the year 1940.
History & Notable Facts
In 1940, Belgium's 1 Franc coin was struck from zinc salvaged during the German occupation, a stark shift from pre-war materials like copper-nickel. That recycling necessity meant it carried the faint scars of wartime improvisation.
The coin's design featured a simple profile of King Leopold III, but production occurred under Nazi control at the Brussels mint. Records show it was part of a hurried series to keep the economy circulating amid shortages. We don't know the exact mintage figures; those details vanished in post-war chaos.
One oddity: the zinc planchets sometimes warped, giving coins a lopsided look. As if the war wasn't disfiguring enough.
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