The Gold Coinage of Ancient to Modern belgium
By Hugo Vanhoudt & John Saunders

The full color edition in hardcover is limited to only 500 copies and so first ordered, first served.

This book gives a complete overview of all the gold coins produced on the territory of present-day Belgium, from the Celts to 2019.

A description of 627 coins including special issues, with details of their obverse, reverse, edge, weight, fineness and rarity, and prices perdate for different grades.

122 pages (29.7 × 21.0 cm) fully illustrated in colour, hardcover.

ISBN 978-94-9277-121-6

Price: 10 euro, while stock of this first limited edition lasts.

Packaging and postage: 10 euro (within Belgium), 20 euro (within Europe).

To order, please send E-mail to Hugo Vanhoudt:
vanhoudt.hugo@gmail.com.

From the introduction by John Saunders:

INTRODUCTION TO THE GOLD COINS OF BELGIUM
It is with great pleasure that I write the introduction to The Gold Coins of Belgium. Both because this book is much needed and because itdeals with such a fascinating coinage. I have been enthralled with collecting coins of the Low Countries for a number of years. The change in controlfrom the Celts, to the Merovingians, to the Burgondians, to the Spanish, to the Austrians and finally as an independent country makes for a wonderfulselection of denominations and designs. Additionally there are the coinage of several brief periods of independence, and the very interestingissuances by the defenders during various sieges as the powers of Europe fought for the control of this very strategic real estate which is todayBelgium.

The scope of the book covers all gold issuing entities that are within today's borders of Belgium, from Celtic times to the present. Like mosthuman endeavors, this book has a foundation in the works of Numismatic authors of the past. A number of books have covered part of this material, butmost are out of date and none have covered the entire field of Belgian Gold Coins. Delmonte did a great job of covering much of this material, buthis book is from 1964. There have been a number of new coins discovered, or should I say rediscovered, since it was published. Also new informationabout rarity has become available. Hugo Vanhoudt's opus on the Spanish, Austrian and Netherlands coinage contains much up to date information onthese parts of this coinage, but does not cover Celtic, Merovingian or modern coinage.

For the collectors of gold coins, this is a much easier book to use, as the gold coins in Vanhoudt's are interspersed between the gold and silvercoins. While, the knowledge of the language in which a numismatic book is written is not essential to its usefulness, the English text of this bookwill ease usage for those to whom Flemish is not their native language. After much discussion, it was decided to include valuations within the textof the book, which we hope will be useful for both collectors and dealers.

Some of these coins are quite rare or even unique, however others are surprisingly affordable. Many of the modern coins are available for a modestpremium to gold value, and a number of very beautiful medieval coins are available for several thousand Euros or less.

A feature of Low Countries coinage that I find fascinating are the coins that are struck with the designs, weight and fineness of English coins.Today, one can spend Euros in the United Kingdom, but at a discount to cover the recipients' need to exchange. Largely because of the wool trade,clever Belgians of times past produced nobles, angels and other coins with the same design as the home country coins, but with different legends. Asmost people were illiterate at the time, the coins passed at no discount, saving the travelers and merchants the exchange premium. Coins were alsoissued with the designs and standards of Italy, France and other countries.

John Saunders