5 francs - Leopold I head laurelled

The coin's story

This 5 francs coin in 900 thousandths silver belongs to the first series of independent Belgium, struck from 1832 to 1849 with the laureate effigy of Leopold I, first King of the Belgians, who took the oath on 21 July 1831. For nearly a century, the silver 5 francs coin was the reference coin of the Belgian system: together with the gold 20 francs coin, it guaranteed the redemption of banknotes. Its engraver, Joseph-Pierre Braemt (1796-1864), engraver general of the Brussels Mint, made the first Belgian coins and signs BRAEMT F. (Braemt fecit, Braemt made it). Over the whole series, 8,197,628 pieces were struck, of which 88% were later exchanged, from 1849, they were commonly called écus. The 1849 date, the last, was struck in 3,013,579 pieces, with the edge inscription raised, and exists with a double star below the date. The coin was demonetised on 1 August 1932.