Luxembourg and the Euro
The smallest member of the EU was one of the EEC's six founding nations in 1957. Luxembourg has provided two of the European Commission's nine presidents, Gaston Thorn and Jacques Santer. The Grand Duchy is also known for its pro-European loyalty and a former Luxembourg prime minister, Pierre Werner, was one of the intellectual fathers of EMU. The country's government had been a major player in ensuring the swift introduction of the euro.
Interestingly, in order to join the euro, Luxembourg had to set up its own central bank. The euro was a project well suited to Luxembourg's traditions as it has been part of a monetary union with Belgium since the 1920s. Luxembourg is the first member of the Eurozone to have all of their standard issue circulation coins minted in more than one location and the only member to have had all their coins minted at three different locations.
Luxembourg euro coins feature three different designs, though they all contain the portrait or effigy of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. The Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg appears on the coins facing to the left. He was not featured on the Luxembourgish franc as he only became Grand Duke in 2000 following the abdication of his father, Jean.
All the Luxembourg coins bear the profile of His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri and contain the 12 stars of the EU flag. They also bear the year of issue and the word 'Luxembourg' written in Luxembourgish ('Lëtzebuerg'), was designed, by Yvette Gastauer-Claire.
2004 - Effigy and monogram of Grand-Duke Henri.
2005 - 50th birthday of Grand Duke Henri, 5th anniversary of his accession to the throne
2006 - 25th birthday of Grand-Duke Guillaume, heir to the throne
2007 - 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
2007 - Grand Ducal Palace
2008 - Grand Duke Henri and the ‘Château de Berg‘
2009 - 10th anniversary of Economic and Monetary Union
2009 - Grand-Duke Henri and Grand-Duchess Charlotte
2010 - Coat of Arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg
2011 - Luxembourg 50th anniversary of the appointment by the Grand-Duchess
2012 - Ten years of the Euro
2012 - Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duke Guillaume IV
2012 - Wedding of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand-Duke
2013 - The National Anthem of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
2014 - 50th anniversary of accession to the throne, Grand Duke Jean
2014 - 175 years of independence of Luxembourg
2015 - 30 years, the flag of the European Union
2015 - 125th anniversary of the House of Nassau-Weilburg
2015 - 15th anniversary of the accession to the throne of H.R.H. the Grand Duke
2016 - The 50th anniversary of the 'Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge'
2017 - 50th anniversary of voluntary military service in Luxembourg
2017 - 200 years since the birth of the Grand Duke Willem III
2018 - 150th Anniversary of the Luxembourg Constitution
