Post by evm111 on Mar 20, 2005 15:18:44 GMT -5
Hi Group,
Thanks to Chaim, there is a new coin to add to our ever-growing library. Discovering these new listings is kind of like being the discoverer of a new element to add to the Periodic Table (am I exaggerating? but it's true, isn't it? we are all out there searching for new coins, and it's a great feeling to stumble upon an "unknown" coin to share with the Group), so I must give Chaim full credit for this one. These Flanders coins resemble the city-coins/local-coins that are issued by hundreds/thousands of municipalities and towns in Europe (the most beautiful of which are Dutch); those coins are an entirely different category. But based on the information I was able to acquire, we felt that Flanders could easily fit into the secessionist-type of coinage, much like Friuli Homeland. Though a portion of the information I received was in English, the following write-up would have been terribly incomplete if Chaim had not translated a couple of critical documents. Here's the listing:
FLANDERS: This “community (or the nation) of the Flemings” is divided among East Flanders and West Flanders provinces of Belgium; Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments of France; and (to a small extent) Zeeland province of the Netherlands. The name Flanders is also used for all the Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium. The Flemish people are fiercely nationalistic in their political struggles regarding emancipation; they have their own parliament, government, and administration/institutions, all based in Brussels. They've demonstrated a longstanding desire for greater autonomy as an independent republic. The Flemish separatist movement is composed of militant and moderate wings, all of which share a desire to protect their language (Vlaams) and culture against a French-speaking ruling minority/elite.
Coins (a total of almost half a million!) were issued for Vlaanderen from 1985-87. According to Mr. Ghislain Henderickx, whom I contacted by e-mail, “The coins ‘Vlaamse Franken’ were made and distributed by the Flemish-National ‘vzw Priester Daens’, a social-cultural organisation, that was and still is settled in Lede and of which I was (am) a committee member.” Albert Van Hove, “the treasurer of our organisation, elaborated the idea and graphic artists realised the draft.” This organization (“legalized” on May 7, 1981; they existed, “un-legalized”, for some 2 years prior to this), states Mr. Henderickx, who is their Secretary, “indeed was/is inherent of indepency/autonomy. With these coins we tried to prove that Flanders could be financially independent. The coins were distributed by us and we payed with in stores and cafés and they were distributed to kindred organisations all over Flanders by the postage services of the Ledean Agency of the BAC-Bank. But after the French-speaking TV-channel RTL Belgium broadcasted in French speaking Belgium a documentary on the success of the coins and the system of distribution, the Minister of Finances at that time, who was a French-speaking politician, forbade the coins. And that was the end of an utmost successful and much-discussed and controversial adventure.”<br>
From Mr. Steven Vergauwen, Director of Vlaamse Volksbeweging vzw (VVB, Flemish People's Movement, founded 1956), I obtained a copy of a leaflet entitled With Vlaamse Franken You're O.K., which specifically deals with the coins. According to this article of propaganda, it seems that the Franks were actually made to be used (but not exclusively) during the yearly IJzerbedevaart (Yser pilgrimage), which takes place in Diksmuide. They were available to supporters via the event's promotions booth, the secretariat of both the IJzerbedevaart and “vzw Priester Daens”, and the BAC offices (where they could also be exchanged/redeemed, after being used in the town's businesses, shops, bars, etc...). This advertisement, which gives June 28, 1987 (Sunday) as the date for that year's upcoming rendezvous, also calls for associations/clubs to use the Vlaamse Franken at other activities, balls, exhibitions, celebrations, and assemblies so that they'd be more widely accepted. To clarify, the Yser pilgrimage started in 1920 as a grass-roots gathering for the sake of remembering the Flemish soldiers who suffered and fell in WWI; it also acts as a general call for peace and tolerance. The focal point of this ritual is the monument of the IJzertoren (Yser tower). Nowadays, heavily influenced by the volatile Vlaams Blok, they've increasingly become a magnet for thousands of nationalists from all over in Europe (many of them quite xenophobic), who flock to Flanders during the “Iron pilgrimage” for an annual show of strength. Henderickx himself is one of the key figures in the IJzerwake (Wake of the Yser), an even more radical right-wing grouping which splintered off from the IJzerbedevaart, seeking to reform it so that it may serve a more extremist purpose.
From Joris Nachtergaele, Assistant of Mrs. Frieda Brepoels (Flemish Member of the European Parliament), I received some additional information about the Flemish Franks. According to the document he sent me, the initiative to mint these tokens was taken by the Federatie van Vlaamse Kringen (FVK, Federation of Flemish Circles/Groups), especially Mr. van Hove, treasurer of the East Flanders chapter of this institution. The purpose of these coins would be to highlight their rich heritage by focusing on a different example of Flemish architecture/artwork each year. Besides promoting greater national consciousness, the coins were to themselves become works of art, with a special numismatic value for collectors.
I obtained a 1985 50 Vlaamse Franken from Mr. Marcel Kelfkens. The reverse of this coin depicts 3 towers (the belfry of Ghent, the cathedral of Antwerp, the belfry of Bruges). This was the sole denomination issued that year, and the coin only had a regional distribution, particularly in Lede. In 1986, two denominatons were issued, the 25 and 50 Vlaamse Franken. These had a distribution in all of Flanders, but were first launched on a large scale at the “Iron pilgrimage”, on June 29th of that year. They were accepted by the local banks, organizations, shopkeepers, and the IJzerbedevaart Committee. The 3 towers featured on these coins are the belfry of Diksmuide, the Basilica of Tongeren, and the belfry of Aalst. In 1987, the 50 and 100 Vlaamse Franken were issued. Only the identity of the middle tower is known for sure: the Cathedral of Mechelen (St. Rombout). Also from '87, there is presumably an uncatalogued 25 Vlaamse Franken pattern in existence.
I'm still trying to determine which Group was more responsible for these coins, Priester Daens or FVK (one source mentioned one Group, but not the other; and vice-versa with another source; but they did both credit Mr. van Hove).
So, with almost a half million coins to be had, I'm sure there's enough out there for all of us to find. So if we find one on eBay, let's not get the bidding too far into the low double digits. It's more than likely there would be another one available three days later for .99 cents!
Thanks to Chaim, there is a new coin to add to our ever-growing library. Discovering these new listings is kind of like being the discoverer of a new element to add to the Periodic Table (am I exaggerating? but it's true, isn't it? we are all out there searching for new coins, and it's a great feeling to stumble upon an "unknown" coin to share with the Group), so I must give Chaim full credit for this one. These Flanders coins resemble the city-coins/local-coins that are issued by hundreds/thousands of municipalities and towns in Europe (the most beautiful of which are Dutch); those coins are an entirely different category. But based on the information I was able to acquire, we felt that Flanders could easily fit into the secessionist-type of coinage, much like Friuli Homeland. Though a portion of the information I received was in English, the following write-up would have been terribly incomplete if Chaim had not translated a couple of critical documents. Here's the listing:
FLANDERS: This “community (or the nation) of the Flemings” is divided among East Flanders and West Flanders provinces of Belgium; Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments of France; and (to a small extent) Zeeland province of the Netherlands. The name Flanders is also used for all the Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium. The Flemish people are fiercely nationalistic in their political struggles regarding emancipation; they have their own parliament, government, and administration/institutions, all based in Brussels. They've demonstrated a longstanding desire for greater autonomy as an independent republic. The Flemish separatist movement is composed of militant and moderate wings, all of which share a desire to protect their language (Vlaams) and culture against a French-speaking ruling minority/elite.
Coins (a total of almost half a million!) were issued for Vlaanderen from 1985-87. According to Mr. Ghislain Henderickx, whom I contacted by e-mail, “The coins ‘Vlaamse Franken’ were made and distributed by the Flemish-National ‘vzw Priester Daens’, a social-cultural organisation, that was and still is settled in Lede and of which I was (am) a committee member.” Albert Van Hove, “the treasurer of our organisation, elaborated the idea and graphic artists realised the draft.” This organization (“legalized” on May 7, 1981; they existed, “un-legalized”, for some 2 years prior to this), states Mr. Henderickx, who is their Secretary, “indeed was/is inherent of indepency/autonomy. With these coins we tried to prove that Flanders could be financially independent. The coins were distributed by us and we payed with in stores and cafés and they were distributed to kindred organisations all over Flanders by the postage services of the Ledean Agency of the BAC-Bank. But after the French-speaking TV-channel RTL Belgium broadcasted in French speaking Belgium a documentary on the success of the coins and the system of distribution, the Minister of Finances at that time, who was a French-speaking politician, forbade the coins. And that was the end of an utmost successful and much-discussed and controversial adventure.”<br>
From Mr. Steven Vergauwen, Director of Vlaamse Volksbeweging vzw (VVB, Flemish People's Movement, founded 1956), I obtained a copy of a leaflet entitled With Vlaamse Franken You're O.K., which specifically deals with the coins. According to this article of propaganda, it seems that the Franks were actually made to be used (but not exclusively) during the yearly IJzerbedevaart (Yser pilgrimage), which takes place in Diksmuide. They were available to supporters via the event's promotions booth, the secretariat of both the IJzerbedevaart and “vzw Priester Daens”, and the BAC offices (where they could also be exchanged/redeemed, after being used in the town's businesses, shops, bars, etc...). This advertisement, which gives June 28, 1987 (Sunday) as the date for that year's upcoming rendezvous, also calls for associations/clubs to use the Vlaamse Franken at other activities, balls, exhibitions, celebrations, and assemblies so that they'd be more widely accepted. To clarify, the Yser pilgrimage started in 1920 as a grass-roots gathering for the sake of remembering the Flemish soldiers who suffered and fell in WWI; it also acts as a general call for peace and tolerance. The focal point of this ritual is the monument of the IJzertoren (Yser tower). Nowadays, heavily influenced by the volatile Vlaams Blok, they've increasingly become a magnet for thousands of nationalists from all over in Europe (many of them quite xenophobic), who flock to Flanders during the “Iron pilgrimage” for an annual show of strength. Henderickx himself is one of the key figures in the IJzerwake (Wake of the Yser), an even more radical right-wing grouping which splintered off from the IJzerbedevaart, seeking to reform it so that it may serve a more extremist purpose.
From Joris Nachtergaele, Assistant of Mrs. Frieda Brepoels (Flemish Member of the European Parliament), I received some additional information about the Flemish Franks. According to the document he sent me, the initiative to mint these tokens was taken by the Federatie van Vlaamse Kringen (FVK, Federation of Flemish Circles/Groups), especially Mr. van Hove, treasurer of the East Flanders chapter of this institution. The purpose of these coins would be to highlight their rich heritage by focusing on a different example of Flemish architecture/artwork each year. Besides promoting greater national consciousness, the coins were to themselves become works of art, with a special numismatic value for collectors.
I obtained a 1985 50 Vlaamse Franken from Mr. Marcel Kelfkens. The reverse of this coin depicts 3 towers (the belfry of Ghent, the cathedral of Antwerp, the belfry of Bruges). This was the sole denomination issued that year, and the coin only had a regional distribution, particularly in Lede. In 1986, two denominatons were issued, the 25 and 50 Vlaamse Franken. These had a distribution in all of Flanders, but were first launched on a large scale at the “Iron pilgrimage”, on June 29th of that year. They were accepted by the local banks, organizations, shopkeepers, and the IJzerbedevaart Committee. The 3 towers featured on these coins are the belfry of Diksmuide, the Basilica of Tongeren, and the belfry of Aalst. In 1987, the 50 and 100 Vlaamse Franken were issued. Only the identity of the middle tower is known for sure: the Cathedral of Mechelen (St. Rombout). Also from '87, there is presumably an uncatalogued 25 Vlaamse Franken pattern in existence.
I'm still trying to determine which Group was more responsible for these coins, Priester Daens or FVK (one source mentioned one Group, but not the other; and vice-versa with another source; but they did both credit Mr. van Hove).
So, with almost a half million coins to be had, I'm sure there's enough out there for all of us to find. So if we find one on eBay, let's not get the bidding too far into the low double digits. It's more than likely there would be another one available three days later for .99 cents!