View source for Belgian Congo 1927 10 centimes

[[Image:Belgian Congo 1927 10 centimes obv 600.jpg|300px|thumb|from the Mountain Groan Collection]]
[[Image:Belgian Congo 1927 10 centimes rev 600.jpg|300px|thumb]]

This specimen was struck at the Brussels mint for the [[Belgian Congo]] 1910-11, 1917-28 and is fairly common. There is a similar five and twenty 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:'' 2,020,000.

''Specification:'' 4 g, copper-nickel, 22 mm diameter.

''Catalog reference:'' KM 18.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.

''Link to:''
* [[Belgian Congo 1887 50 centimes|1887 50 centimes]]
* [[Belgian Congo 1926 5 centimes|1926 5 centimes]]
* [[Belgian Congo 1928 10 centimes|1928 10 centimes]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1927]]

[[Category:Selections from the Mountain Groan Collection]]