2 1/2 Francs - Léopold I large head

Belgium's 2½-franc denomination was an awkward unit almost from the start — a concession to the Latin Monetary Union's framework before Belgium formally joined in 1865, designed to slot between the 2-franc and 5-franc pieces in a system that commerce never fully embraced. The "large head" distinction separates this from the earlier portrait variant; the obverse die was re-engraved during the series run, making date-by-date attribution essential for a complete type collection.

Leopold I died in December 1865, and production of this type ceased the same year. Final-year pieces saw limited circulation before the denomination itself was quietly retired under the LMU standardization push.