Belgium 2 Euro Coin 2023 “75 years Universal Women's Suffrage” Proof in Case

Following the 2011 2-euro coin to commemorate International Women's Day, the Royal Mint of Belgium is now issuing a unique 2-euro coin to celebrate 75 years of universal Women's Suffrage in Belgium.
 
1831: All Belgians equal before the law... Or were they?
Anno 1831, the newly born Belgium got a constitution that was considered very progressive at the time. Only, women were completely forgotten! For the National Congress it was enough to adopt the ideas of the famous Code Napoléon, which equated women with minors and the insane. Talk about gender discrimination!
 
1850-1900: Feminist movements make their entrance
During the second half of the 19th century, Belgium saw the first movements for women's emancipation emerge. Equal opportunities in education, especially for girls, as well as equal civil rights for men and women were high on the (women's) agenda at the time. By uniting and organising properly, Belgian women had already been able to claim some interesting economic and civil rights on the eve of the First World War. Yet women still remained far from equal to men.
 
1920: A typical 'compromise à la belge'...
Especially in the political sphere, everything had yet to begin. After 1918, women's right to vote therefore became the leitmotif for the feminist movement. Despite all the efforts and a lot of lobbying, the program for full women's suffrage could only be partly realised. True, women's right to vote in municipal and provincial elections was won on 3 May 1920 and women could also stand for election. But for the right to vote in chamber and senate elections, it was still to wait until... 3 years after World War II!
 
1948: Full suffrage for Belgian women at last!
After liberation, the granting of women's suffrage is no longer questioned. New times are dawning and objections have become scarce. On 27 March 1948, parliamentary women's suffrage became a legal fact for women. Since then, Belgian women have been able to continuously strengthen their position, although there is still work to be done to get the gender scales perfectly balanced.
 
A euro coin for women, designed by a woman!
To appropriately celebrate the 75th anniversary of Belgian Women's Suffrage, the Royal Mint of Belgium has released a particularly original 2-euro coin that perfectly reflects the female pursuit of gender equality.
 
The image side shows a Venus symbol as a voting box filled in with a pencil and surrounded by the bilingual caption 'ALGEMEEN VROUWENKIESRECHT - SUFFRAGE UNIVERSEL FÉMININ'. To the left of the box is the inscription 75 JAAR/ANS and to the right the landmark BE, the year 2023 as well as the mintmaster's privy mark (an erlenmeyer flask with aster) and the mint mark of the Royal Dutch Mint (the Mercury staff). At the very bottom of the Venus sign you will discover the initials IB of IRIS BRUIJNS: since 2022 our new (female) coin designer, yes!
 
Available for you in two powerful versions
First, there is our Proof version. The limited edition of only 5,000 pieces makes this luxury issue a particularly sought-after collector's item that will also be eagerly sought after outside our country. Proof or BU, the choice is yours. Or maybe you want to order both versions? Your collection can only benefit.
 
This last 2 euro coin of 2023 is also offered to you in Briliant Uncirculated (BU) and in Proof quality. The BU issue sticks in a colourful coincard and shows the joy for the newly acquired right to vote announced 75 years ago in the daily newspapers. The reverse shows some young ladies eagerly exercising their right to vote. As usual, two language versions were also provided for this coincard.