400 Euros Don Quixote of La Mancha

Issued on the 400th anniversary of the publication of Cervantes' novel — the first part appeared in Madrid in January 1605 — this coin was part of Spain's broader commemorative program marking the quadricentennial. The novel is widely credited as the first modern European novel, and the anniversary prompted cultural events across the Spanish-speaking world, with the Royal Spanish Academy releasing a special commemorative edition of the text that same year.