5 Euros Philippe Largo Winch, colored

Part of Belgium's long-running comic strip coin program, this issue celebrates Largo Winch, the action-thriller series created by writer Jean Van Hamme and artist Philippe Francq, first published in 1990. The Royal Belgian Mint has used the five-euro format for licensed pop-culture pieces since the early 2000s, deliberately targeting collector markets rather than circulation — color application on cupro-nickel at this weight effectively removes it from any practical monetary use.

Van Hamme, also the creator of Thorgal and XIII, remains one of the most decorated writers in Franco-Belgian comics history.