GENT GAND 1980 25 GANDAE BELGIAN MUNICIAPL EXCHANGE TOKEN / MEDAL

Description: Obverse : "gravensteen 1180-1980 stadt Gent / 25 gandae"Reverse : "ANNO INCARNATIONS MCLXXX PHILIPPUS, COMES FLANDRIE ET VIROMANDIE, FILIUS THIRICI COMITIS ET CIBILIE, FECIT HOC CASTELLUM COMPONI."Diameter : 30 mm or 1,2 inch.Metal : brass plated steel Municipal tokens were born in Flanders in 1980. The first to be put into circulation was the 25 Francs de Louvain which bore the name "Lovenaar". It was the City of Louvain which launched the idea that a medal could/should be struck for the city. This medal was valid for a limited time and could only be redeemed at local merchants. Most of the coins went directly into the collection of numismatists or individuals, who thought they were a nice must-have. Thus, due to the law of supply and demand, the value of this occasional coin increased rapidly and in a short time reached a value of around 1,000 Belgian francs (= 25 EUR). Consequently, few coins returned to the city treasury. “Lovenaar” was quickly imitated in other cities and towns which also seized the chance to generate additional income.A few months later, Ghent minted two coins (Gravensteen & St. Baafsabdij). At the same time, a few 25 franc (Westvlaander) coins were minted for the coastal and inland towns of West Flanders. More and more towns and villages saw the minting of these coins as an additional source of income. The material they were made from and the cost of minting them was low, and few tokens were returned, resulting in a net profit to the treasury of these cities! And then began what everyone had feared: a mass issuance of new tokens. While at the beginning a new token was only issued every 2 months, commemorative tokens appeared on the streets of many municipalities: at its peak in 1981, it happened that 3 new tokens were issued per week... Like if that was not enough, the amount of the token was increased from 25 francs to 50 francs, and in 1981 the price was already 100 francs. The cost of minting tokens remained the same, but the benefit for municipalities and cities was suddenly much higher. But many collectors gave up because the shows were too expensive and too different. Local clubs and local fair and festival organizations suddenly saw an additional source of income. They also began to mint coins en masse, although sometimes in limited numbers, so that the issue price remained the same, but its value increased rapidly due to its rarity. Once again, the big profits went to the clubs because, following the example of the cities and municipalities, almost no coins were brought in. In 1981, there were sometimes as many as 20 new coins being issued in a month. As a result, even more collectors gave up. By the end of 1981, almost no new issues were registered and the world of municipal tokens truly collapsed.Let us add here that each of these pieces was a gem in terms of images. The municipality of Tubize, for example, issued a coin with the portrait of Empress Marie Thérèse: if you don't look at the alloy, you might believe that you are holding a coin from the Austrian period. Due to the abandonment of their collection by many numismatists of the time and the cessation of the issue of these commemorative coins, the interest - and therefore also the value of these coins - has declined significantly. Many young collectors are not familiar with these pieces or the history behind them. What is striking is that interest has increased again in recent years. Many collectors seek out these coins because the cost is generally low and the images are very beautiful. The downside is that the alloy (steel) usually starts to rust quickly due to humidity and it becomes difficult to find these parts in good condition.

Price: 5 USD

Location: Tourcoing

End Time: 2025-01-05T17:50:50.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.9 USD