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CC 272 2017
Coincard
BU Französisch
Coincard – French version
Belgium · 200 years of Université de Liège
Mintage87,500
Issue price€8.00
Issue date21 Apr 2017
PackagingCoincard
Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted
Market price€18.80
Mintage information from source: Gesamt 175.000 · 1:1 auf NL/FR geteilt
Issue occasion
The coin commemorates the 200th anniversary of the founding of the University of Liège (Université de Liège). The design features the university’s emblem with the years “1817–2017” and the bilingual inscription “200 ANS UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE — 200 YEARS UNIVERSITY OF LIEGE”. Also depicted are the “BE” mark, the Brussels mint mark featuring the helmeted head of the Archangel Michael, and the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele as the mark of the mint directors.
The design
The inner part of the coin features the emblem of the University of Liège with the year dates 1817-2017, surrounded by the inscription “200 ANS UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE — 200 YEARS UNIVERSITY OF LIEGE” (200 years University of Liège) and the symbol BE for the issuing country. The mint mark of Brussels, the helmeted head of the Archangel Michael, and the mint directors’ mark, the coat of arms of the city of Herzele, are placed to the right and left of the country code, respectively.
The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.
Background on the topic
The university was established during the political reorganisation of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. The Congress of Vienna (Wiener Kongress) had united the Northern and Southern Netherlands into a kingdom under Wilhelm I. The king had higher education expanded in order to train specialists for administration, law, medicine and the natural sciences. In addition to Liège (Lüttich), state universities were also established in Ghent (Gent) and Leuven (Löwen). In Liège, teaching began with the faculties then customary for philosophy and literature, law, medicine and the natural sciences.
After the Belgian Revolution (Belgische Revolution) of 1830 and Belgium’s independence, the institution continued to exist. It was maintained as a state, French-speaking university. Its development was closely linked to the city’s economic environment: in the 19th century, Liège and the Meuse valley (Maastal) were among the centres of mining, metalworking and mechanical engineering. Accordingly, scientific and technical education, as well as research related to regional industry, gained importance.
The university was initially housed mainly in the city centre. Its historic locations include the building complex at what is now Place du 20-Août. As the university grew, the Sart Tilman campus was established outside the centre from the second half of the 20th century onwards. Numerous faculties, research institutes and university facilities were brought together there, while other parts remained in the city centre.
Today, the university encompasses a broad range of disciplines. It also has locations outside Liège, including the agriculturally oriented campus in Gembloux. The anniversary gave Belgium an opportunity to recall the emergence of the modern state higher-education system in the country and the continuity of one of its French-speaking universities. The choice of a university as the coin’s theme also refers to education and research as public responsibilities that have been institutionally developed since the early 19th century.
After the Belgian Revolution (Belgische Revolution) of 1830 and Belgium’s independence, the institution continued to exist. It was maintained as a state, French-speaking university. Its development was closely linked to the city’s economic environment: in the 19th century, Liège and the Meuse valley (Maastal) were among the centres of mining, metalworking and mechanical engineering. Accordingly, scientific and technical education, as well as research related to regional industry, gained importance.
The university was initially housed mainly in the city centre. Its historic locations include the building complex at what is now Place du 20-Août. As the university grew, the Sart Tilman campus was established outside the centre from the second half of the 20th century onwards. Numerous faculties, research institutes and university facilities were brought together there, while other parts remained in the city centre.
Today, the university encompasses a broad range of disciplines. It also has locations outside Liège, including the agriculturally oriented campus in Gembloux. The anniversary gave Belgium an opportunity to recall the emergence of the modern state higher-education system in the country and the continuity of one of its French-speaking universities. The choice of a university as the coin’s theme also refers to education and research as public responsibilities that have been institutionally developed since the early 19th century.