Iconic Belgian banknotes

In 2025, the National Bank of Belgium celebrated its 175th anniversary. As part of this anniversary, we look back at five iconic banknotes issued over the course of these 175 years. A beautiful design for collectors of money on stamps on June 16, 2025. Do you also have these banknotes in your collection?

175 years of the National Bank in five iconic Belgian banknotes

In 2025, the National Bank of Belgium celebrated its 175th anniversary. For the occasion, bpost is issuing a unique stamp edition featuring iconic banknotes from Belgian history. The selection of the depicted banknotes was made in collaboration with the Museum of the National Bank of Belgium and the Cercle Numismatique de La Louvière.

The National Bank of Belgium was established in the 18th century to guarantee the exchangeability of banknotes for precious metals as well as secure banknotes. Since 1869, it has printed its own banknotes, each featuring specific images. “These drawings are not only aesthetic; they also provide protection against counterfeiting,” says Pauline Landa, curator of the National Bank Museum. “After all, the more detailed the drawing, the more difficult it is to imitate. That is why banknotes were given different reverse sides,” she explains.

Full-fledged works of art. In the 19th century, it was mainly about allegories or mythological figures intended to depict ideas or concepts such as prosperity or progress. “From the beginning of the 20th century, patriotic and monarchist themes emerged, later followed by real historical figures,” according to Korhaan Mainil of the Cercle Numismatique de La Louvière.

Over time, improved printing techniques also made it possible to display more detailed portraits. “You can safely consider banknotes as full-fledged works of art. Incidentally, they were originally designed and created by the country’s best painters,” says Pauline Landa. “The illustrations reflect their time and geographical context, featuring national symbols, historical moments, or notable characters. Due to the historical value of the banknotes, the National Bank has been building a historical numismatic collection since 1950.”

The anniversary of the National Bank of Belgium was an excellent opportunity to put that rich collection in the spotlight, but the proposal for the banknotes came from the Cercle Numismatique of La Louvière. This resulted in a special stamp issue. “The background on the sheet in each case shows an enlarged version of the banknote on the stamp,” concludes Carla De Boodt (Head of Philatelic Program). “Hopefully, collectors will enjoy the beauty of the banknote designs, perhaps with a touch of nostalgia for that good old 'Belgian Franc'.”

Stamps from top to bottom:

Guido Gezelle

Guido Pieter Theodorus Josephus Gezelle (1830 – 1899) was a Flemish lyric and satirical poet, Roman Catholic priest, linguist, teacher, journalist, and translator. He is known for his subtle poems about nature, his figurative language, and his virtuoso artistry. *O 't ruischen van het ranke riet* and *Het Schrijverke* from the poetry collection *Vlaamsche Dichtoefeningen* (1858) are just two of his best-known works. The themes of his poems are typically Romantic, with subjects such as nature, friendship, religion, and death.

 

Adolphe sax

Antoine-Joseph 'Adolphe' Sax (1814–1894) was a Belgian inventor and musician who invented the saxophone in the early 1840s and patented it in 1846. He also invented the saxotromba, saxhorn, and saxtuba, and redesigned the bass clarinet in a way that is still used in the 21st century. He played the flute and clarinet.

 

Source: bpost press release.