Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 20 Euro Cent 2008, KM# 278, Belgium, Albert II
  • 20 Euro Cent 2008, KM# 278, Belgium, Albert II
Description

In 2008, Belgium made a slight modification to the design of its national sides in order to comply with the common guidelines recommended by the European Commission. These required, among other things, that the circle of 12 stars representing Europe appear as in the European flag - i.e. continuous in a circle with nothing intruding between any of the stars.

The new national sides continued to bear the effigy of His Majesty Albert II, King of the Belgians, encircled by twelve stars, but the royal monogram and the date of issuance featured in the inner part of the coin – not in the outer ring – together with two new elements: the mint marks and the abbreviation of the country name (‘BE’).

Obverse

The coin's inner section shows an effigy of King Albert II in profile facing to the left. To the right of this, the royal monogram is displayed and, below it, the indication of the country ‘BE’. Underneath the effigy, the signature mark of the Master of the Mint is displayed on the left and the mint mark on the right, either side of the year. The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.

Albert II (born 6 June 1934) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1993 until his abdication in 2013. Albert II was the fourth monarch to abdicate in 2013, following Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Emir Hamad bin Khalifa of Qatar. In doing so, he was also the second Belgian monarch to abdicate following his father, King Leopold III, who abdicated in 1951, albeit under very different circumstances.

Engraver: J. A. Keustermans

A II
BE
2008

Reverse

A geographical map of Western Europe spans the outer ring and inner core on the left side of the coin.

12 stars are located on the left side of the outer ring, with six stars atop the map of Europe and six stars below it; six vertical stripes cut across the inner core of the coin, visually connecting the upper and lower star segments.

Luc Luycx, a designer at the Royal Belgian Mint, designed the Euro’s common reverse; his initials, LL, are seen on the right side of the design, just under the “0” in “20.”

20
LL
EURO
CENT

Edge

A smooth edge separated into equal sections by seven indents (Spanish flower)

20 Euro Cent

2nd portrait, 2nd type, 2nd map
KM# 278 LA# BEM-5.3a
Characteristics
Material Nordic Gold
Weight 5.74 g
Diameter 22.25 mm
Thickness 2.14 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Royal Belgian Mint

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