2003 Coinage
| 100th Birthday of Georges Simenon | ||||
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| Designer: Luc Luycx | Mint: Royal Belgian Mint | |||
| Value: €10 | Alloy: Ag 925 (silver) | Quantity: 45,086 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 20 February 2003 | Diameter: 33 mm (1.30 in) | Weight: 18.75 g (0.66 oz; 0.60 ozt) | ||
| Although his well-known protagonist, Detective Inspector Maigret, was Parisian, Georges Simenon was one of most famous Belgian writers of the 20th century. With more than 200 novels, most of them translated into several dozen languages and more than fifty adapted for television and the large screen, he has left a large collection of masterpieces behind. Two of them, My Friend Maigret (1949) and Maigret in Court (1960) were named in 1987 as two of the hundred best crime novels. For his work particularly on police novels, Belgium has chosen to honor the centennial of his birth (13 February 1903) with a 10-euro sterling silver commemorative coin. The obverse front side shows his portrait.
The reverse shows a map of the European Union as of 2003. "Belgium" in the three official languages is displayed as well as the nominal value of 10 euro, surrounded by the 12 stars of the union. |
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| 200th Anniversary of the French Monetary Reform | ||||
| Designer: Luc Luycx | Mint: Royal Belgian Mint | |||
| Value: €100 | Alloy: Au 999 (gold) | Quantity: 4,503 | Quality: Proof | |
| Issued: 15 November 2003 | Diameter: 29 mm (1.14 in) | Weight: 15.55 g (0.55 oz; 0.50 ozt) | ||
| The obverse of the coin shows the two faces of the "Germinal Franc", a currency established in 1803. Some historians consider that, since it references to both gold and silver, this currency indicates the creation of the bi-metallic system.
The reverse shows the effigy of King Albert II. To the left of the coin, the royal mint mark is depicted. "Belgium" in the three official languages is displayed in the middle as well as the nominal value of 100 euro. |
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Read more about this topic: Euro Gold And Silver Commemorative Coins (Belgium)
Famous quotes containing the word coinage:
“Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors on national taste.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)