Belgium 1-CENTIME (KM76)¶
-
Reverse LION of BELGIUM
-
Obverse Insignia of King Albert I
- Composition
- Copper
- Country
- Belgium
- Approx. Size
- 16.5mm
- Area
- Europe
- Animal Class
- Mammals
- Species
- Lion
- KM#
- 76
The Zookeeper is pretty certain there are no lions running around Belgium, yet here it is on a Belgium coin. The same lion, with its paw resting on a pair of stone tablets appears on several coins of Belgium. This is a heraldic lion -- the Lion of Belgium -- and the tablets represent the 1832 constitution of Belgium.
Belgium¶
- Area
- Europe
Belgium has been the site of many battles through the years between the European powers, earning it the nickname "the cockpit of Europe." Upheavals in the area can be traced back to the first century BCE, when the Roman Republic took over the area. Belgium is linguistically divided with Dutch dominant in the north and French in the south. There is also a German-speaking minority in the east. This has resulted in many heated and divisive political debates. The largest diamond trading centre in the world is located in Antwerp in the north. Belgium was one of the founding members of the European Union and is the site of its headquarters.
