Item number: A2654

Year: AD 1980

Material: Silver Clan Copper-Nickel

Size: 37.1 x 37.1 x 2.8 mm

Weight: 25.05 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint of Belgium (Dutch: De Koninklijke Munt van België; French: La Monnaie Royale de Belgique), Brussel

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a 500 Belgian Franc commemorative coin struck by the Royal Mint of Belgium (La Monnaie Royale de Belgique) and issued by the National Bank of Belgium (Banque nationale de Belgique) to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Belgium’s independence and the promulgation of its constitution.

The obverse features the left-facing portraits of the five Belgian monarchs up to AD 1980. On the far left is Leopold I; at the top is Leopold II; below Leopold II is Albert I; at the upper right is Leopold III; and at the lower right is Baudouin, the reigning King of Belgium at the time. At the lower left is inscribed the Dutch text “1830 BEL-GIË 1980”, meaning “1830 Belgium 1980”. In AD 1830, a revolution broke out in Belgium, leading to independence from Dutch rule and the eventual establishment of an independent nation. Since AD 1815, following the Congress of Vienna, the Belgian territories had been merged with the Netherlands to form the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, but deep-seated differences in religion, language, and economic interests caused increasing dissatisfaction among the Belgian population towards the rule of King William I of the Netherlands. In AD 1830, riots erupted in Brussels and quickly spread across the country, with workers, liberals, and Catholics uniting against the Dutch government. After fierce battles, the Belgian provisional government declared independence in October. Although the Dutch army attempted to suppress the movement, it withdrew under international pressure. In AD 1831, Belgium promulgated its constitution and elected Leopold I as king, thereby establishing a constitutional monarchy.

The reverse features an abstract representation of the map of Belgium at the upper right, within which is inscribed the Dutch text “150 JAAR ONAFHANKELIJKHEID VAN BELGIË”, meaning “150 Years of Belgian Independence”. Below is “500 F”, indicating the denomination “500 Francs”. To the right of the denomination is the head of Saint Michael crowned with a cross, serving as the mint mark of the Royal Mint of Belgium, as Saint Michael is the patron saint of Belgium. To the left of the denomination is a bird with outstretched wings and an exaggerated crest, bearing a V-shaped symbol on its chest, representing the mint mark of Robert Vogeleer, the official in charge of the Royal Mint at the time. Above the map of Belgium appears “WBB”, denoting the signature of Wiesław Bartłolomiej Bielyszew, the designer of the map motif, while to the right appears “PH”, the signature of Paul Huybrechts.

The Belgian 150th Anniversary commemorative coin was issued in both Dutch and French versions, each available in a silver and a silver-clad variant, intended for either collection or circulation. The edge of the coin is smooth, but the colour and texture are uneven. As neither the obverse nor the reverse exhibits polished or matte finishing, it is presumed to be a circulation-grade silver-clad version.

King Baudouin (Baudouin, AD 1930–1993) was the fifth King of the Belgians, reigning from his accession in AD 1951 until his death, a period of more than forty years during which he earned deep respect from his people. After the abdication of his father, Leopold III, following political controversy, Baudouin ascended the throne and dedicated himself to restoring the monarchy’s reputation and promoting national stability and modernisation. During his reign, he witnessed the independence of Belgium’s African colonies, particularly the establishment of the Republic of the Congo, as well as increasingly complex linguistic and regional divisions within Belgium. He was known for his steadfast commitment to constitutional governance, his respect for democratic processes, and his personal humility and piety. Baudouin married Queen Fabiola, a Spanish noblewoman; although they had no children, they were renowned for their charitable and public engagements. He passed away suddenly from a heart attack in AD 1993 and was succeeded by his brother, Albert II.

物件編號: A2654

年代: 公元 1980 年

材質: 銀包銅鎳芯

尺寸: 37.1 x 37.1 x 2.8 mm

重量: 25.05 g

製造地: 比利時王家鑄幣廠，布魯塞爾

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚比利時王家鑄幣廠(La Monnaie Royale de Belgique)所造，比利時國家銀行(Banque nationale de Belgique)所發行的500比利時法郎紀念幣，為紀念比利時獨立建國與制憲150週年。

錢幣正面為迄公元1980年為止，五位比利時國王之左側肖像。最左側為利奧波德一世；最上方為利奧波德二世；利奧波德二世下方為阿爾貝一世；右上方為利奧波德三世、右下方為時任比利時國王博杜安。左下角為荷蘭文「1830 BEL-GIË 1980」，即「1830 比利時 1980」。公元1830年，比利時爆發革命，脫離荷蘭統治，最終建立獨立國家。自公元1815年維也納會議以來，比利時地區與荷蘭合併為荷蘭聯合王國，但宗教、語言、經濟利益的深層差異，使比利時民眾對荷蘭國王威廉一世的統治日益不滿。公元1830年，布魯塞爾爆發暴動，迅速擴展至全國，工人、自由派及天主教勢力聯合起來反對荷蘭政府。經過激烈戰鬥，比利時臨時政府於10月宣告獨立。荷蘭軍隊一度試圖鎮壓，但在國際壓力下撤退。公元1831年，比利時公布憲法，並選出利奧波德一世為國王，確立君主立憲制。

錢幣背面之右上部分為抽象化的比利時國土圖樣，內書荷蘭文「150 JAAR ONAFHANKELIJKHEID VAN BELGIË」，意即「比利時獨立150週年」。下方「500 F」為面額「500 法郎」。面額右側為頭頂十字的聖米迦勒之首，是比利時王家鑄幣廠的鑄幣標記，米迦勒為比利時的主保聖人。面額左側為展翼的鳥，羽冠誇張，胸前刻有V型符號，是時任王家鑄幣廠負責人，專員羅伯特·福赫勒(Robert Vogeleer)的鑄幣標記。比利時國土圖樣右上方「WBB」為圖樣設計者維斯瓦夫·巴爾托洛梅·別利謝夫(Wiesław Bartłolomiej Bielyszew)之署名，圖樣右方「PH」為保羅·海布雷希茨(Paul Huybrechts)之署名。

比利時150週年紀念幣有荷蘭文以及法文兩個版本，各再分為銀幣和鍍銀幣兩個版本，供以收藏或流通。此幣稜光滑，顏色、材質卻不均勻。正背面亦未作拋光及磨砂處理，應為供流通的包銀工藝版本。

博杜安國王(Baudouin，生卒公元1930至1993年)為比利時第五任國王，自公元1951年即位直至逝世，在位期間超過四十年，深受國民尊敬。他在父親利奧波德三世因政治爭議退位後登基，致力於修復王室形象，推動國家穩定與現代化。博杜安在位期間見證了比利時的非洲殖民地獨立，特別是剛果共和國的成立，以及國內日益複雜的語言、地區分裂問題。他堅守憲政立場，尊重民主程序，並以謙遜、虔誠著稱。博杜安與西班牙貴族法比奧拉王后結婚，兩人無子女，但以慈善和公眾事務著稱。他於公元1993年突發心臟病逝世，由弟弟阿爾貝二世繼位。