A two-euro coin struck by the Belgium Mint featuring symbolism from the Battle of Waterloo recently sparked a disagreement with France, Belgium’s southern neighbor, and the nation on the losing side of the famous battle that occurred nearly 200 years ago.
While the euro is the universal currency across the European Union, which includes Belgium and France, each country strikes coins with their unique national design on the coin’s reverse. Nations of the EU can also mint commemorative editions of the 2-euro coin.
Belgium recently chose to mint 2-euro coins that commemorate the upcoming 200-year anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo that occurred just outside of the nation’s capital of Brussels. Belgium helped Britain and its allies defeat France’s conquest-driven Napoleon Bonaparte.
The coin features an image of the Lion Hill memorial that stands erected at the battlefield of Waterloo in commemoration of where Belgium’s own Prince of Orange was wounded fighting against France during the battle, but which has become the main symbol of the crushing defeat of Napoleon in 1815.
When France became aware of Belgium’s coin, their government went on the offensive, asking that the European Union take a vote to determine the fate of the coin, which they felt had a negative connotation for some in the European Union and which they said stirred old dissension between the countries of the European Union.
Instead of voting, Belgium agreed to cease production of the coin instead of quarreling with its southern neighbor.
The Belgian Royal Mint had already spent over two million dollars producing 175,000 Waterloo coins. However, the coins will not go into circulation as legal tender as originally planned. The Royal Mint will now only sell the existing coins as commemorative edition coins without striking anymore of the “offensive” euro.
While the coin controversy may have cost the Royal Mint a lot of money, it creates a dreamy situation for coin collectors. The very small mintage of the coin, along with the controversy that surrounded its short history, will definitely make the Battle of Waterloo coin a hit among coin collectors worldwide.
If you’re looking for collectible coins with history and investment potential, look no further than Provident Metals. We have a wide selection of silver, gold, and copper bullion to satisfy all types of collectors and investors, including pre-Euro coins from Germany, France and the Netherlands.
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