The Royal Mint of Belgium (Koninklijke Munt van België)

The Royal Mint of Belgium — history

The Brussels mint struck the coins of independent Belgium from the 1830s, continuing a much older minting tradition of the Southern Netherlands. In the era of the gold standard it produced Belgian gold francs, and after Belgium joined the Latin monetary standard in 1865 — 20 franc coins to unified parameters: 6.45 g at 900 fineness, that is 5.81 g of pure gold, interchangeable in circulation with French Napoleons and Swiss Vrenelis.

In the 20th and 21st centuries the mint struck Belgian circulating coins (including euros from 2002) and collector issues. In 2017 the Belgian government decided to close the Brussels works — since then the striking of Belgian coins has been entrusted to outside mints. That makes the historic issues from Brussels a closed chapter of European minting.

20 francs of Leopold II — the mint's most important gold coin

The most commonly encountered gold coin of the Royal Mint of Belgium is the 20 francs with the portrait of Leopold II (1867–1882): 6.45 g at 900 fineness, that is 5.81 g of pure gold — exactly the same as in the French Marianne and the Swiss Vreneli. That is no coincidence but the Latin monetary standard, thanks to which three different coins from three countries hold an identical amount of metal and are today priced almost the same.

These coins were struck in their millions as real circulating money, which is why their premium over metal value is among the lowest of all historic gold coins. Individual pieces carry natural traces of circulation, which do not affect the gold content.

The range at GoldInvest24

Coins of the Royal Mint of Belgium are in the historic gold coins category — alongside British sovereigns, Austrian ducats and Swiss francs. Every piece is checked for weight, dimensions and authenticity. We also run a gold and silver buy-back.

FAQ — The Royal Mint of Belgium

What is the Royal Mint of Belgium?

The historic state mint of Belgium in Brussels, which struck the kingdom's coins from the 1830s until 2017, when the government decided to close the works. It issued, among others, the gold 20 francs of Leopold II.

How much gold does a Belgian 20 francs contain?

6.45 g at 900 fineness, that is 5.81 g of pure gold — the same as the French 20 francs and the Swiss Vreneli, because all three were struck to the Latin monetary standard.

Do traces of circulation reduce the value of these coins?

For coins priced by metal content, normal traces of circulation are not significant — the amount of pure gold is set by the issuing standard, not by the state of the surface. Only mechanical damage matters, for example solder marks left by jewellery mounts.

Where can I buy coins of the Royal Mint of Belgium?

From a specialist precious metals dealer. At GoldInvest24 you will find Belgian gold 20 francs with insured shipping and discreet packaging. Current prices are linked to the live gold price.