1 Franc - Albert II French text

Belgium's linguistic divide has shaped its coinage for decades. From 1994 onward, the National Bank issued Albert II's 1 Franc in two parallel versions — one with French text, one with Dutch — a practice rooted in the country's constitutional language legislation rather than any numismatic tradition. The two types were struck in equal quantities and circulated without preference in their respective regions.

The series ended with the euro changeover in 2002, making 2001 the final year of Belgian franc coinage after over 170 years of the currency.