1956 Belgium 10 Centimes

The 1956 Belgian 10 Centimes stands out for its use of aluminum, a material chosen to stretch scarce resources in the post-war economy, marking a shift from traditional copper alloys.

This coin, part of Belgium's broader series from the 1950s, features a simple design: the obverse shows the head of King Baudouin I, facing right, while the reverse displays the denomination encircled by a wreath. It's unremarkable in size, about 21 millimeters across, and weighs less than a gram. Mintage figures for that year are murky; official records from the Brussels mint weren't always precise.

Edge details are plain, with no reeding, which made it easy to stack but prone to wear in circulation. I once sorted a bag of these and found most had lost their luster. As for rarity, it's common enough that even I, after three decades, don't get excited.

Producing these in aluminum saved costs, though it meant they didn't age well. That's the coin in a nutshell.