Austrian Netherlands: copper 2 liards (2 Oorden), Insurrection coinage, 1790

Austrian Netherlands: copper 2 liards (2 Oorden), Insurrection coinage, 1790





Obverse: 4-Line inscription within wreath, date and mintmark (angel head=Brussels) below.

(Translation of obverse legend: AD USUM FŒDERATI BELGII = "For use in the Belgian Federation".)

Reverse: Rampant lion right with staff.

(Note also that NGC holdered this coin with its lion side forward, while the Krause catalog lists it with the wreath/inscription side as the obverse, following the convention that the side with a country's name is considered the obverse of a coin. Though Krause is arguably "correct", I personally agree with NGC this particular time, and find the lion side more prominent as an "obverse". However, I have followed the Krause nomenclature in describing the sides.)

KM45, copper, Brussels mint (angel head mintmark). NGC MS63 BN, cert. #3721213-017. Ex-"Zohar444" (CoinTalk forums), via private purchase, 11/25/2016. Prior provenance to Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Weekly World and Ancient Coin Auction #231550, Lot #62102, December, 2015.

Coincidentally having just bought a 16th century gold coin from Brabant, I then acquired this late-18th century coin of the Brabant Revolution. It is a lovely Mint State example with hints of the original red luster, and features a simple but strong design. It is also an interesting historical relic of the insurrection which occurred in the Austrian Netherlands (modern-day Belgium) between October 1789 and December 1790, concurrently with the more widely-known French Revolution of the same period. This insurrection resulted in the temporary overthrow of Austrian rule and the creation of a short-lived independent republic (the United Belgian States) from 1789 to 1790.

Though short-lived, this brief independence gave its citizens their first taste of freedom. Austrian control was reestablished, but that too was brief. The region was overrun by French armies during the wars of the French Revolution, and annexed by France in 1795. Yet still the idea of independence was not forgotten, and in 1830, the inhabitants arose in the Belgian Revolution, creating the modern state of Belgium.

My friend Zohar (@Zohar444) sold me this lovely, historical coin in a particularly indulgent way; not only did he wait while I scraped up the money to buy it, but he sold it to me for noticeably less than the price it had fetched at auction the previous year. Furthermore, since the coin was already certified in an NGC plastic slab, and the prongs on those holders present a photographic dilemma as they protrude over the edges of the coin, I also tip my hat in thanks to Brandon G (@brg5658) for the digital wizardry in creating the main image you see here; he edited out the intrusive prongs from those images without requiring the removal of the coin from its holder.

Miscellaneous links:
Alternate image (with white background- note also larger, zoomable images on the Heritage page)
NGC cert verification page
NGC/Krause priceguide trends
Prior auction appearance (Heritage Auction #231550, Lot #62102, 12/2015; realized $305.50)

Wikipedia links:
Austrian Netherlands
Brabant Revolution
United Belgian States
Liard (coin)
Lion (heraldry) (the use of lions in coats of arms)
Brussels (history of the region)

When posted here, this coin was part of my "Eclectic Box of 20" collection.