1945 Belgium 2 Francs

The 1945 Belgian 2 Francs coin was struck from zinc, a stark choice dictated by the metal shortages that lingered after four years of occupation.

This coin emerged in the immediate aftermath of Belgium's liberation in September 1944. The design, featuring a simple lion on the obverse and the year on the reverse, echoed pre-war patterns but with none of the embellishments. Minting began at the Brussels facility as soon as operations resumed, though exact production figures vanished in postwar chaos. We know it circulated widely, helping stabilize an economy in tatters.

One theory suggests the zinc planchets came from recycled sources, possibly including scrap from the invaders' own supplies. If that's true, it's like the coin was flipping the bird to history—subtly, of course.