1943 Belgium 2 Francs

The 1943 Belgian 2 Francs coin was struck in zinc under German occupation, a stark shift from pre-war alloys due to material shortages that defined wartime minting.

That zinc composition made it lightweight and prone to wear, reflecting the broader struggles of an economy under siege. The obverse featured King Leopold III's profile, a design holdover from before the invasion, while the reverse showed the denomination and year in a simple, functional style.

Minting records from this period are patchy at best, lost amid the conflict's upheavals, so exact figures remain elusive. I've handled dozens of these over the years, and let me tell you, they're more common than stories about hidden wartime treasures.