In 1789, Brabant Revolution took place in reaction to liberal reforms made by Joseph II and the Austrian occupation of Belgium. After Austrian forces were defeated by the rebels at the Battle of Turnhout in 1789, Austrian forces withdrew from the country. On 11 January 1790, the counties and dukedoms which had made up the Austrian Netherlands became one country, the United States of Belgium. The United States of Belgium coinage was issued in eight denominations divided into Liards, Sols, and Florins. It was only produced during the short one year lifespan of the country meaning that all examples are dated 1790. The Florin comes in two varieties KM-48 and KM-49 (The PCGS image of first coin doesn't do it justice). Low mintage one year types, and these both are finest graded. 1790. Austrian Netherlands. Belgium Insurrection. Florin. Brussels Mint. Mintage: 25,000. KM-49. Obv: Lion rampant r., Domini est Regnum "Our Kingdom is the Lord's". Rev. Two hands shaking, grasp a bundle of 11 arrows representing 11 provinces: East Flanders, West Flanders, Brabant, Hainault, Tournai, Namur, Luxembourg, Liège, Limburg, Antwerp and Mechelen. ET IPSE DOMINABITUR GENTIUM (and He Himself rules the nations.). Struck during the revolution against Emperor Joseph II's anti-clerical innovations in the church. Finest known. PCGS MS-66. 1790. Austrian Netherlands. Belgium Insurrection. Florin. Brussels Mint. Mintage: 15,000. KM-48. Obv: Lion rampant r., In Unione Salus "Salvation in Union". Rev: Hands grasp a bundle of 11 arrows representing 11 provinces: East Flanders, West Flanders, Brabant, Hainault, Tournai, Namur, Luxembourg, Liège, Limburg, Antwerp and Mechelen. KM 48. Struck during the revolution against Emperor Joseph II's anti-clerical innovations in the church. Finest known. PCGS MS-67.
The first coin is a really nice one. If you bought it, I saw it on Sixbid. There was also another MS-65 for sale in a second auction. The second one, I hope it looks better than the image because I don't think its as nice as the first, despite the higher grade. The reverse looks nice but the obverse less so. I own five of the seven coins in NGC MS-63 to MS-65. I don't own the 3 florin and 14 florin because I have never set aside the money for it. For those who don't know these coins, I would consider them scarce to moderately scarce, but only in higher grades. The mintages are low or relatively low for the time but like many other late 18th century European coins, the survival rates are high enough that the coins aren't that hard to buy. Ironically in my experience, the one I have seen the least in better grades is the liard. Mine is an MS-63 BN. The most common and easiest to buy is the 3 florin. I have seen that coin in better AU or MS, a lot. I consider it likely at least several hundred exist out of the original reported mintage of 44,000.
