The Royal Mint of Belgium (MRB) has issued a €12.50 coin in gold, as a sign of "gratitude" to King Philippe.
Born in 1960, King Philippe of the Belgians celebrated his 65th birthday on Tuesday. A special commemorative 2025 gold coin has been released in his honour.
It is the only gold coin being issued in Belgium this year, dedicated to the King's "unwavering support" for the country and the "many social projects" he has championed in recent years.
The coin is also official legal tender, which raises the question: why is it worth the unusual sum of €12.50?
A 12½ euro gold coin, dedicated to the 65th birthday of King Philippe. Credit: SFP Finance
"The value of the coin and the metal have always been linked in recent years," a spokesperson for the Belgian Ministry of Finance told The Brussels Times. "Thus, the €12.50 is always how much a gold coin is worth."
Belgian authorities previously issued €12.50 gold coins for the 25th wedding anniversary of the Royal Couple in 2024, and also for Queen Mathilde's 50th birthday in 2023. "It is a continuation of a tradition to reserve this most special coin for themes related to royalty," the spokesperson explained.
The coins are being promoted as a collector's item, with 2,500 copies available for a price of around €200. It was created by the official coin designer at the Royal Mint, Iris Bruijns. She took inspiration from a photo by Bas Bogaerts to create the portrait of the King. Bogaerts was also behind the official birthday portraits released on Tuesday.
There is also a historical element to the €12.50 sum, which links back to the introduction of the euro currency in 2002, which replaced the Belgian Franc (BEF).
"The sum of €12.50 in itself also has a link to the Belgian commemorative coins from before the introduction of the euro, some of which were issued with a denomination of 500 BEF," the Ministry of Finance spokesperson added. "The conversion of these into euros is, roughly, €12.50."
