Issued to mark the 175th anniversary of the Belgian dynasty, this miniature gold piece belongs to a series the Royal Mint of Belgium produced in the €12.50 denomination — an unusual face value designed specifically for small-format bullion and collector issues rather than any circulation purpose. The pairing of Albert II with Leopold III is historically loaded: Leopold III's wartime conduct, including his decision to surrender to Germany in 1940 and remain in occupied Belgium, triggered the so-called "Royal Question" that nearly fractured the country and ultimately forced his abdication in 1951 in favor of his son Baudouin.
Albert II is Leopold III's younger son. That the dynasty could commission a joint commemorative six decades after that constitutional crisis says something about Belgian institutional memory.
Issued to mark the 175th anniversary of the Belgian dynasty, this miniature gold piece belongs to a series the Royal Mint of Belgium produced in the €12.50 denomination — an unusual face value designed specifically for small-format bullion and collector issues rather than any circulation purpose. The pairing of Albert II with Leopold III is historically loaded: Leopold III's wartime conduct, including his decision to surrender to Germany in 1940 and remain in occupied Belgium, triggered the so-called "Royal Question" that nearly fractured the country and ultimately forced his abdication in 1951 in favor of his son Baudouin.
Albert II is Leopold III's younger son. That the dynasty could commission a joint commemorative six decades after that constitutional crisis says something about Belgian institutional memory.