½ Dollar - Elizabeth II Belgium

This piece belongs to a sprawling category of modern commemorative issues produced for the Solomon Islands by the Pobjoy Mint and similar contract minters — sovereign in name, collectible in purpose, never intended to circulate in Honiara or anywhere else. The Belgian connection here is Elizabeth of Bavaria, Queen of the Belgians, whose consort Albert I led the country through German occupation in World War I while she served as a nurse on the front lines — an unusual role for a reigning queen at the time.

Silver-plated copper-nickel is the workhorse composition of this entire commemorative genre, introduced to hit accessible retail price points without sacrificing the visual weight of a 41 mm format.