1835 Belgium 1 Franc

The 1835 Belgian 1 Franc coin was among the first to feature King Leopold I's portrait, a deliberate nod to the nation's fledgling independence after 1830.

Struck in Brussels from .835 fine silver, it entered circulation as Belgium established its economy separate from the Netherlands. The obverse shows Leopold facing right, with the date below, while the reverse bears the Belgian coat of arms and the denomination. These details highlight the coin's role in standardizing currency under the new monarchy.

Production numbers are murky; records from that era were often incomplete, and what survived might have been lost in later upheavals. Still, examples in good condition are common enough in collections, showing the coin's widespread use.

I've handled dozens of these over the years, and the myths about their rarity are overblown—they're just solid pieces of history, not treasures from a fairy tale. A dry observation: spotting a pristine one is like finding a quiet corner in a crowded market.