1947 Belgium 2 Francs

The 1947 Belgian 2 Francs coin was struck from aluminum sourced from melted-down wartime scrap, a practical necessity in a Europe still digging out from ruins.

That choice made it one of the lightest coins in circulation at the time, weighing barely over a gram, which must have amused shopkeepers counting change in the shadow of bombed-out streets. Belgian authorities opted for this design to quickly replace worn pre-war currency, featuring a simple profile of King Leopold III on the obverse and the national arms on the reverse.

Mintage figures for this issue are murky; records from the Brussels mint were reportedly disorganized after the war, so exact numbers remain uncertain. I've handled dozens of these over the years, and they're often overlooked, free from the romantic myths that collectors spin about older pieces.