I don't believe it is German, and you would likely cause a fight suggesting that in Belgium as there is traditionally little love lost between Belgians and Germans. (They have been on opposite sides of wars too often!) I think it is Flemish or Walloon - the second language of Belgium.
My mistake. I looked it up. It's French and Dutch. Dutch looks similar to German. "The coins were issued in two versions, French and Dutch. On the obverse of both coins there is a portrait of King Albert I. There are inscriptions Albert I and ALBERT ROI DES BELGES (the French coin version), ALBERT KONING DER BELGEN (the Dutch version of the coin) on the obverse." 20 Belgian francs (1867-1914) Coins
Belgium is divided between French-speaking Walloons (31 %) and Flemish (basically Dutch) speaking Flemings (58 %), plus a small contingent of German-speakers (0.7 %) and a lot of immigrants and foreign residents including all those EU bureaucrats (10 %). French, Dutch and German are all official languages but only French and Dutch appear on the coins. Way back there was apparently a Walloon language, basically a French dialect, but today the Walloons speak modern French with an accent and some local expressions. I have never understood the difference between Flemish and Dutch but I found this on the internet: Pronunciation is one of the most noticeable difference between Dutch and Flemish. The Dutch language spoken in the Netherlands has more of an English influence, whilst the language in Flanders has a stronger French manifestation. Dutch people also often mention that the Flemish dialect sounds softer. This is because the Dutch language makes use of stronger tones. The most obvious difference is in the pronunciation of the letter g. In the northern parts (pronounced g) the letter has a very guttural sound whereas in Flemish (pronounced ch) this letter is softer and sounds more like a hissing sound. An example of pronunciation, the word nationaal is pronounced natzional in the Netherlands and nasional in Flanders. Despite the fact that the Dutch language can generally be understood by the Flemish, their vocabulary can still differ to some extent. There are quite a few words in the Netherlands that do not appear in Flemish. In Flanders, when asking for an ATM, they would ask for a ‘bankcontact’, whereas in the Netherlands the term to use would be a ‘pinautomaat’. In addition, some words used in Dutch have different meanings than in Flemish. For example, Schoon: in Flanders, this word is used to indicate the beauty of something or someone. In the Netherlands they use this word to describe if something is clean.
Not the best images as I’m on vacation and don’t have access to my scanner, but this will be my first venture into the world of Thalers (besides Maria Theresa and German Empire stuff) and I’m excited to post it. I picked up this 1795 Prussia Konventionstaler in a small coin shop yesterday, probably my favorite coin I own now.
Thanks for the info. I never got that deep into it, which is probably why I thought it was German, which is what it looks like to me. Thanks for setting me straight.
Not seen often, not as old as most, but I figured this would be appreciated here. It is silver after all. Z
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, 120 Grana, 1831, Ferdinando II Strange wear pattern. Most of the reverse is pretty clear, but some of the sections in the center-left of the shield are almost completely worn off. I was happy to get it at $45. I've never seen one before.
Spanish Netherlands FLANDERS Charles II Double Ducaton 1670 Bruges mint 45 mm 65.11 g This has the same design as the Brabant Ducaton above, except the Count of Flanders title instead of Duke of Brabant and the fleur-de-lys instead of the hand mintmark between the date - and, of course, the weight.
I know this isn't the best example but I have wanted one of these for awhile. 1638 or 9 Netherlands West Friesland Lion Daalder