Coin and Paper Money Collecting/5 centimes coin

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Expert: - 1/18/2012


Question
Hello Dmitry. I have in my possession a coin that has Premier Roi Des Belges - a large 5 - centimes under the 5 & a star below it on one side. The other side  has L' Union Fait La Force then a star then the date 1861 then another star. This is around the edge, then it has, what appears to be, a standing lion in the middle. It is a fairly small coin, approximately the size of a US penny.  It is silver in color.  Could you possibly tell me a little about it & the approximate value of it.

   Thank you

Answer
Hi David,
This is a Belgian 5 centimes, with French legends "Des Belges". They were also made with Dutch legend "Der Belgen". The coins are made of copper-nickel alloy and several million were made. Unfortunately this is the most common year for these, worth just a few dollars even in good condition.
Thanks for the question! =)

Coin and Paper Money Collecting

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Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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