10 Euro Cents - Albert II 1st map, 1st type, 1st portrait

Belgium was among the eleven founding members of the eurozone when coins entered circulation on 1 January 2002, though these pieces were struck from 1999 onward as part of the massive pre-launch production program coordinated across participating mints. The so-called "first map" reverse — showing the EU's member states without the eastward expansion of 2004 — became obsolete almost immediately, replaced after just a few years in circulation when ten new countries joined and a redesigned map was required.

The 1999-dated pieces were minted strictly for the starter kits distributed to Belgian households in late 2001, not for general circulation.