1 Franken - Albert I Ghent - German Occupation Coinage

When Germany occupied Belgium in August 1914, the economic disruption was immediate and severe. Ghent, like many Belgian cities, faced acute small-change shortages as hoarding stripped coins from circulation within months. Municipal authorities were permitted — under German oversight — to issue local token coinage to keep commerce functional. The brass-plated iron composition reflects wartime metal controls; pure copper and nickel had military priority.

The iron core corrodes readily beneath compromised plating, making uncorroded survivors harder to find than mintage figures alone would suggest.