As an avid coin collector, I love learning about the historic world many of my coins came from. One such piece in my collection is an 1888 copper 10 centimes piece, like the one here. I'm aware of the atrocities all of the native Congolese people experienced during the years when Leopold had total control of the region, and it's crazy to think that my coin may have witnessed it all. I know I'm personifying a metallic object, but it just boggles my mind to think that this piece may have been handled by a person from that time period, whether that person be a victim or a perpetrator. It's also humbling to have tangible evidence of a dark period in history and a reminder to always see the brighter side of things in my own life. Do any of you know how coins and currency were used in the Congo Free State, what they could buy, and whether they ever feel into the hands of the native Congolese people? The Belgium mint produced pretty large quantities of each coin denomination sent to the colony, so I don't think they just sat in a storage room collecting dust.

I appreciate any redditors who took the time to read this and left a response :)

Also, if any of you have links to first-hand accounts and documents from the time period, please feel free to share even if the documents don't talk about coins in general. All history is good history.