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To mark the 25th anniversary of the inclusion of the Neolithic Flint Mines of Spiennes on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Royal Belgian Mint recently issued a 10-euro silver proof collector coin. This piece pays tribute to one of the oldest and most extensive prehistoric sites in Europe.
In 2000, the Spiennes Flint Mines were inscribed on UNESCO's World Natural and Cultural Heritage List. These Neolithic mines were discovered by chance in the 19th century during the construction of a railway line. They represent one of the oldest examples of human industrial activity in Europe. Between 4200 and 2500 BC, huge quantities of flint were extracted, covering an area of more than 100 hectares.
Flint is a very hard sedimentary rock composed primarily of silicon. Due to its homogeneous structure, its flakes are extremely sharp, which was undoubtedly ideal for primitive man, who used them to make all kinds of instruments, tools, and weapons. However, what was particularly useful was that striking the flint against a rock containing iron would produce sparks and immediately ignite a fire. This is also the origin of names like "vuursteen," "flintstone," and "Feuerstein" in some languages.
The obverse of the piece features a particularly realistic drawing of a flint hand axe made of flint, framed by stylized rustic motifs. The inscriptions of the issue's motif are framed: "NEOLITHIC FLINT MINES AT SPIENNES" and "25 YEARS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE."
The reverse of the coin features the official portrait of King Philippe, facing right, accompanied by his royal monogram and the year of issue "2025." The composition is framed by the face value "10 EURO," the name of the issuing country in the three official languages of the Kingdom of Belgium, as well as the mint mark and the designer's signature, "LL," corresponding to the engraver Luc Luycx.
The coin is presented in a fine case, which also comes with its corresponding numbered certificate of authenticity.
Technical characteristics
Country: Belgium
Quality: Proof
Face value: 12.5 euros
Coin design: Iris Bruijns
Diameter: 33 mm
Metal: 925 silver
Weight: 18.75 g
Issue volume: 3,000
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