Lot #576: Belgium 1977 Five Franc Coin - Ceres - Concucopies "Allegorical Type" - (Rau) - België

Obverse: Features the head of Ceres (the Roman goddess of agriculture), facing left. She wears a wreath of wheat in her hair, symbolizing fertility and the earth’s bounty. This coin is the Belgian version of the 1977 issus, and therefore reads BELGIË, not BELGIQUE. Reverse: Features a large, overflowing Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty) in the center, tilted toward the right. The denomination "5 F" is positioned above the horn. The date 1977 is located at the bottom. The 1977 Belgium 5 Franc coin is a staple of the "Monetary Union" era, featuring a distinctively modern, industrial aesthetic. This design, by artist Marcel Rau, is celebrated for its classical beauty and was a mainstay of Belgian pockets for decades. It was so well-regarded that it was used for the 5 Franc denomination across multiple decades, bridging the gap between the post-war recovery and the modern pre-Euro era. This coin was part of Belgium's dual-currency system, where coins were minted with either French or Dutch inscriptions to reflect the country's linguistic regions. Dimensions: Cupro-Nickel. 24 mm. 5.50 g. Pickup category timeslot {A}