Belgian Congo 1888 5 centimes
This specimen was lot 70130 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, February 2020), where it sold for $70. The catalog description[1] noted, "BELGIAN CONGO. 5 Centimes, 1888/7. Leopold II. NGC MS-64 Red Brown. Offered here is a choice colonial copper 5 Centimes. This is about as nice as this type comes." This type was struck 1887-88 and 1894. The regular 1888 is given a premium over the 1888/7. It accompanied copper one, two and ten centimes.
The history of the Congo has long been unhappy. The region was claimed by Leopold III of Belgium in the 1880's as his private domain, ostensibly to end the slave trade which had long afflicted the area. Instead, he instituted a reign of terror as natives were massacred if they failed to yield their assigned quota of rubber and ivory. Finally, after a world outcry, the government of Belgium annexed the area in 1908 and ended the most abusive practices. Still, few wept when the colonizers withdrew in 1960. Violence and exploitation continue to this day, fulfilling white racists' worst stereotypes about "darkest Africa."
Recorded mintage: 175,000 (including 1887).
Specification: copper.
Catalog reference: KM-3.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The February 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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