Belgium 1980 500 francs
This specimen was lot 1489 in Jean Elsen sale 143 (Brussels, December 2019), where it sold for €2,400 (about US$3,133 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BELGIQUE, Royaume, Baudouin (1951-1993), AR 500 francs, 1980NL/FR. 150e anniversaire de l'indépendance. GR-BR 3550. Extrêmement rare Etui. Flan poli. (kingdom of Belgium, Baldwin I, 1951-93, silver 500 francs, 150th anniversary of independence. Extremely rare, Proof.)"
This NCLT was intended to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Belgian independence from the Netherlands. Instead, because of bungling at the mint, it became a hotly collected item due to muling of the French and Flemish dies. The SCWC mentions KM 161, with French legends, and KM 162, with Flemish legends, and KM 165, with French obverse and Flemish reverse. This error, however, is none of these, being a mule of a Flemish obverse and a French reverse.
Recorded mintage: 1,000,000 in silver plate plus 53,000 in billon plus more with Flemish legends.
Specification: regular issue: 25 g, silver-plated copper-nickel, 37 mm diameter; collector issue: as above, 0.510 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM 161 (silver-plated copper-nickel) or KM 161a (0.510 fine silver).
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, Vente Publique 143, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2019.
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