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10 Euros - Albert II International Polar Year
| Issuer | Royal Belgian Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 2007 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the Princess Elisabeth Antarctic research station flanked by three wind turbines to the left, set against a dramatic background of mountain peaks representing the Antarctic landscape. Below the station, the inscription PRINCESS ELISABETH identifies the subject, accompanied by the engraver's initials LL for Luc Luycx and the word ANTARCTICA denoting the location. Above the mountain range, the legend INTERNATIONAL POLAR FOUNDATION arcs across the upper field, attributing the station's founding organization. The design commemorates Belgium's contribution to the International Polar Year 2007-2008 and the establishment of the world's first zero-emission polar research station. |
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| Mintage | 2007 - Proof - 50,000 |
| Additional information |
The International Polar Year 2007–2008 was a coordinated global research initiative involving over 60 nations — the first such effort since 1957–58 and only the fourth in history. Belgium has a legitimate claim to this subject: the 1897–99 Belgica expedition, trapped in Antarctic pack ice for over a year, was the first to winter south of the Antarctic Circle, and its crew included a young Roald Amundsen.
The Royal Belgian Mint issued this piece as part of a broader European wave of commemoratives tied to the IPY, several mints coordinating loosely on the theme without producing a unified joint issue.