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20 Francs Belgium Leopold II

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Belgium’s most prevalent and coveted classic gold coin, the Leopold II 20 franc, is a 21.6 karat ... read more
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447,83 €
The photos are used for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product.

Introduction

Belgium’s most prevalent and coveted classic gold coin, the Leopold II 20 franc, is a 21.6 karat gold piece that encapsulates the history of the Kingdom of Belgium. Rich in detail, this gold coin is embellished with Belgium’s coats of arms and gilded with the portrait of notorious King Leopold II. Belgian gold francs were part Europe’s first uniform precious metal regime and thus are of historical significance, making them suitable for collectors and investors who wish to possess tangible gold coins.

Why Buy

  • Leopold II 20 francs are Belgium’s most sought after gold coins. Embellished with Belgium’s majestic coats of arms, and showing peerless uniformity for five decades, they are Belgium most famous historical gold coins. 
  • Leopold II 20 francs are Belgium’s most widespread gold coins. With approximately 28 million pieces minted since 1883, Belgian 20 franc gold coins are a household name in the European bullion market. 
  • Belgian 20 francs are money. They are exempt from Value Added Tax, and are exchangeable throughout Europe by bullion dealers and investors alike. 
  • Belgian 20 franc coins are the equivalent of savings. Belgian gold francs are an ideal choice for any long-term saver who appreciates the security and stability of owning physical gold coins. 
  • Belgian 20 franc gold coins are an excellent way to diversify your portfolio. Gold’s low correlation with other financial assets makes sovereign gold coins serve as a portfolio hedge against market risk.

Buying gold items means low risks and maintaining wealth

Gold's value has grown over the years making it good to maintain or grow wealth.

  • Product value (1pc)
    485,22 €
  • Buyback price
    447,83 €
  • Your risk now
    37,39 €

Fact: gold price in EUR has risen 159.59% in the last 10 years. The lowest price was 910,69 EUR/oz and the highest 2434,57 EUR/oz. Current world market price is 2429,20 EUR/oz

History

The Belgian gold franc and King Leopold II

With Belgium gaining independence from the Netherlands in 1831, the new Kingdom of Belgium introduced a year later its own coinage, referred to as Belgian francs, which was set to equal French coinage with regards to weight and composition. Though only silver and bronze coinage was minted in the beginning, Belgian gold francs were subsequently introduced in 1834, bearing the effigy of Belgium’s first king, Leopold I (father of Leopold II).  The gold francs were issued in denominations of 10, 20, 25 and 40 francs, with the 20 gold franc coin being the most common. They were minted until 1865 when King Leopold I passed away.

Following the king’s death, his son Leopold II acceded to the throne that same year and the new franc coinage carrying the effigy of Belgium’s second king was released two years later in 1867. King Leopold II ardently believed that a country should have colonies and he sought to establish Belgium as a colonial power. After several years of failing to gather support from the Belgium Government for his endeavours, Leopold II instead created a private holding company that hired the famous African explorer Henry Stanley, who, in the name of scientific research, was to explore and establish a colony in central Africa. Henry Stanley did just that, prospecting deep into the territories of Congo and laying claim to newly explored land in the process. When African affairs was discussed by European nations and the United States at the Berlin Conference of 1884, Leopold managed, through skilful diplomatic means, to convince the foreign powers of the time to recognise his legitimate claim to Congo.

In 1885, the Congo Free State, a country 76 times larger than Belgium, was created, with King Leopold II as the sole ruler. Although the newly founded colony was in the beginning a huge expense for Leopold’s holding company, this would change by the end of the 19th century with the invention of bicycle and automobile rubber tyres. This led to a dramatic increase in demand for rubber, and Congo, which contained large amounts of this natural resource, became a massive source of income for Leopold’s enterprise. In fact, some sources alleged that Leopold II was at the end of the 19th century the wealthiest man in Europe, a direct result of the Congo rubber trade. Even though profit from this lucrative trade belonged to his private holding company, Leopold invested a large portion of his money in architectural and public projects in Belgium. He financed several large-scale projects, the two most famous being the triumphal arch in Brussels and the central railway station in Antwerp, earning him the epithet of “Builder King”. By the end of his rule, Congo was ceded to the Belgium Government, which continued to govern the territories until 1960.   

Although King Leopold II passed away in 1909, the last 20 franc gold coin to bear his effigy was minted in 1882. An explanation of this might be that there was an influx of gold coinage from France, which was considered equal legal tender in the country as a result of Belgium’s membership of the Latin Monetary Union. Consequently, there was no need for Belgium to maintain the minting of its own gold coinage.

 

The Belgian franc and the Latin Monetary Union 

In 1865, Italy, France, Belgium and Switzerland founded Europe’s first major currency union under the name “Latin Monetary Union”. This union was an attempt to unify the respective countries’ money into a single uniform currency. The founding members of the union agreed on a uniform fineness and weight of their coinage, which was set to equal the French silver and gold franc, and they agreed to interchange each other’s gold and silver coinage at parity, irrespective of whether it carried another design, effigy or name. The ratio of the two precious metals was likewise standardised, with 4.5 grams of silver being equal to .290322 grams of gold, a ratio of 15.5 to 1. This standardisation facilitated and simplified trade among the member countries and was seen as an appealing concept, leading other European countries to join as well. Although the union came with numerous flaws, one of them being that individual governments over-issued paper notes above the stipulated fixed ratio that was set between paper notes and circulating precious metal coinage, they were all the consequence of poor human judgement rather than the failure of the uniform precious metal coinage itself. Nevertheless, the union expanded until the advent of World War I, and came to a formal end a decade later in 1927. 

Product weight in grams
6.4516
Gold weight in grams
5.80644
Fineness
900
Gold weight in troy ounces
0.18668
Diameter
21
Thickness
-
Face value description
20 franc
Manufacturer
Belgium

Obverse

The obverse portrays the effigy of King Leopold II. The title “LEOPOLD II ROI DES BELGES”, which translates as “Leopold II King of the Belgians”, surrounds his portrait. On the king’s neckline is the year of mintage and the signature of the master engraver “LW”.

Reverse

The reverse displays the coat of arms of Belgium, a lion on a circular shield draped with an ermine cape and topped by a crown. The coat of arms is encircled by the text “L’UNION FAIT LA FORCE”, which translates as “Unity is strength”, with the denomination “20 FR” inscribed at the bottom. 

Packaging

Each coin is individually packaged in a hard plastic capsule. 

Secure and Fast delivery by Omniva courier

Your order is fully insured and delivered by Omniva SIA courier. After we have received your payment, the products will be dispatched within 24 hours. Delivery time is within 1 or 2 working days. The Omniva courier will contact you via phone. If you wish, you can also personally pick up your order at one of our offices in Riga the same day we receive your payment. In cases where we are unable to send your order right away, we will always inform you about the time delay.

Insurance

The package is fully insured and in the extremely unlikely event that the package is lost or damaged, we will re-ship the items or refund your money. Insurance costs depend on the value of your order (1% of the value).

Tracking

Once the products have been packaged and sent, you will receive instructions and a code to track the shipment.

Secure and fast delivery by Omniva parcel machine system

Your order is delivered by Omniva SIA to the parcel machine you choose in the shopping cart. After we have received your payment, the products will be dispatched within 24 hours. Delivery time is within 1 or 2 working days. As soon as Omniva deliver your order to the parcel machine, you will receive instructions by text message regarding the parcel machine. If you wish, you can also personally pick up your order at one of our offices in Riga the same day we receive your payment. In cases where we are unable to send your order right away, we will always inform you about the time delay.

Insurance

The package is insured up to EUR 500 and in the extremely unlikely event that the package is lost or damaged, we will refund the value of your order, but not more than EUR 500. Insurance is included in the delivery price.

Tracking

Once the products have been packaged and sent, you will receive instructions and a code to track the shipment.

Secure international delivery

Your order is delivered by an international shipping company. After we have received your payment, the products will be dispatched within 24 hours. The delivery time depends on your location, but usually it is up to 7-14 working days. We can provide you with delivery by courier right to your door or you can pick up your order at the nearest post office. If you wish, you can also personally pick up your order at one of our offices in Riga the same day we receive your payment. In cases where we are unable to send your order right away, we will always inform you about the time delay. We hold the right to cancel your order if delivery to your destination is not possible because of any additional risks, tax or other local law restrictions.

Insurance

The package is fully insured and in the extremely unlikely event that the package is lost or damaged, we will re-ship the items or refund your money. Insurance costs depend on the value of your order (1% of the value).

Tracking

Once the products have been packaged and sent, you will receive instructions and a code to track the shipment.

Expected shipping cost

Tavex offers easy and secure shipping for all online orders. Take a look at the expenses.

Vast Stock Availability

Tavex has the majority of products always in stock and therefore can offer you quick delivery and same day pickup with market leading prices. Tavex is an official partner for all the biggest mints in the world, such as The Perth Mint Australia, Austrian Mint (Münze Österreich), China Great Wall Coins Investments Ltd., gold bar market leader PAMP Suisse and Valcambi and other gold factories and dealers.

Same day pickup

Feel free to visit our office during opening hours to take a free consultation or learn more about a specific product. If you purchase online you can pick-up the products at the same day we receive the payment.

Low prices

Over 25 years on the market and large volumes have enabled us to offer you the best prices on the market. With Tavex you can maximise your investment’s return because of low margins and spreads.

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This item is out of stock and you can pre-order it now.

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