10 Centimes - Leopold III BELGIE-BELGIQUE

Belgium minted two parallel coin series throughout Leopold III's reign — one with the Flemish legend and one with the French — a politically charged practice reflecting the country's entrenched linguistic divide. The 1939 date carries particular weight: it was the last full year of Belgian independence before the German invasion of May 1940, after which Leopold's controversial decision to surrender and remain in occupied Belgium rather than join the government-in-exile would fracture the country along lines that persisted well into the postwar decade.