Silver 1 franc of the Third Republic, 1881

For this period in general, not for this coin in particular.

In 1896 an adult worker in Belgium earned on average between 2 and 4.50 francs a day (underground miners 3 to 5 francs, in 1900 4 to 7.50). In Brussels a skilled building worker earned 0.41 francs an hour in 1898, an unskilled one 0.27. A 10-centime piece was therefore roughly one 20th to one 45th of a day's pay. Indicative: the figures are ranges by sector and do not hold for every region.

Confidence: medium

Sources:

• Denise de Weerdt, De arbeiderstoestanden van 1876 tot 1914 · Antwerpen, S.M. Ontwikkeling; online transcription. Office du Travail enquiry of 1896 and 1900.
• Peter Scholliers, Loonontwikkeling, conjunctuur en arbeidsverhoudingen in het bouwvak in Brussel en Parijs, 1855-1940 · Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Nieuwste Geschiedenis 21 (1990), 1-2, pp. 1-47. Hourly wages 1898.