10 Francs - Léopold II Pattern

Pattern coinage from 1867 Belgium sits in a particularly contested moment: the country was navigating pressure from France over possible annexation, and Léopold II had only just ascended the throne in December 1865. Official franc-denominated gold coinage of this period followed the Latin Monetary Union standards established in 1865, and patterns like this one were almost certainly produced to evaluate design proposals or test striking parameters rather than for any intended circulation.

The gold-plated composition rather than solid gold marks this unambiguously as a die trial or presentation piece — the absence of any standard reference number across KM, Morrisson, and Laurent confirms it never progressed to an approved type.