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5 Francs - Léopold III Dutch text
| Issuer | Belgium |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941-1947 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 6 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 5 FR 1941 |
| Edge | Reeded |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Belgium's zinc 5-franc pieces were a direct product of German occupation — the Reichskommissariat systematically stripped copper and nickel from Belgian circulation during the war years, forcing the National Bank to issue zinc coinage from 1941 onward. The Dutch-text variant reflects the linguistic division baked into Belgian monetary policy since the 1880s, with Flemish and French issues struck in parallel runs rather than a single bilingual design.
Zinc corrodes aggressively in humid conditions, and most surviving examples show at least some surface degradation. Clean specimens are genuinely difficult to source — not because mintages were low, but because the metal simply didn't survive peacetime pockets and drawers.