Item number: A1212

Year: AD 1870

Material: Sliver

Size: 37.4 x 37.4 x 2.5 mm

Weight: 24.85 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint of Belgium

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This is a 5-franc silver coin issued by the Kingdom of Belgium, with a minting date of AD 1870. The obverse features the Belgian coat of arms, centrally depicting a lion, crowned at the top, with the denomination of 5 francs inscribed on either side. The outer border is adorned with foliage. The upper inscription bears the national motto: “Unity is Strength,” while the year of issuance is inscribed at the bottom. The reverse side displays the portrait of the monarch, encircled by the French inscription: “Leopold II, King of the Belgians.” Below the portrait, the small inscription “LEOP WIENER” indicates the engraver’s signature.

Under the reign of Leopold II, Belgium transitioned from a newly established lowland nation into one of the colonial powers involved in the partition of Africa. However, Leopold II’s rule over the Congo Free State—a personal possession of the king rather than a formal colony—was marked by widespread enslavement and abuse of the local population. The construction of rubber plantations and the implementation of a forced labor quota system are estimated to have resulted in the deaths of around 10 million people.

In recent years, the fate of statues of Leopold II in Belgium has become a central topic in discussions about transitional justice. Some argue that he was a racist and a key figure in human trafficking, while others view him as a part of the country’s colonial history. With the global rise of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, the Belgian government has removed some of these statues to prevent them from being vandalised, reflecting a growing reckoning with the colonial past.

物件編號: A1212

年代: 公元 1870 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 37.4 x 37.4 x 2.5 mm

重量: 24.85 g

製造地: 比利時皇家造幣廠

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

這是一枚比利時王國發行的5法郎銀幣，發行時間為公元1870年。正面中央為雄獅樣式的比利時國徽，上方以皇冠裝飾，左右兩側標示面額5法郎，外側被植物包圍。上方的銘文為國家格言：「團結就是力量」，下方則是發行年分。反面為君主頭像，外圈法文銘文：「利奧波德二世．比利時國王」，下方的小字銘文「LEOP WIENER」為雕刻師的姓名縮寫。

利奧波德二世統治下的奧地利，由新成立的低地國家，轉變為參與瓜分非洲的殖民列強。然而其治下的剛果自由邦(屬國王私產而非殖民地)，發生大量奴役、虐待當地居民的情形。當中橡膠園的建設以及強制勞動的配額制度，估計造成1000萬人死亡。

近年來比利時境內，對於利奧波德二世的銅像處置成為轉型正義的討論焦點，部分觀點認為其為種族主義者及人口販運的元兇，也有人主張其為殖民主義下的國家歷史。隨著「黑人的命也是命」運動在全球的發酵，比利時政府也將部分銅像移除以避免被破壞。