Shopping Cart
Commemorative coin of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, issued in 2009 in a circulation of 1,200,000 copies. Joint issue of 16 eurozone countries in honor of the 10th anniversary of EMU. Author of the joint design is George Stamatopoulos (Bank of Greece). Minted at the Royal Netherlands Mint. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
In the center of the coin is depicted a stylized human figure reaching out to the large euro symbol "€" - a man-Atlantean, similar to an ancient Greek hero, "holding" the euro as a symbol of the birth of a common European currency from the work and faith of citizens. On the left is a hidden (latent) image of the portrait of Grand Duke Henri, visible from a certain angle. Inscriptions: "UEM 1999-2009" (Economic and Monetary Union), "LËTZEBUERG". On the outer ring - 12 stars of the EU.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the second type, designed by Luc Luix (Royal Belgian Mint). It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders - a symbol of European unity. On the left - a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right - a map with six thin horizontal lines in the background. On the outer ring - 12 stars of the European Union. The band is finely fluted and the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) of the European Union is a key stage of European integration, completed on January 1, 1999 with the introduction of the common currency, the euro (€). Formally, the EMU was formed in three stages: Stage I (from 1990) - liberalization of capital movements; Stage II (from 1994) - creation of the European Monetary Institute; Stage III (from 1999) - introduction of the euro. The euro was initially introduced as a non-cash currency for the 11 founding countries, and banknotes and coins - on January 1, 2002. Luxembourg is one of the 11 founding countries of the euro area and one of the most important financial capitals in Europe. Luxembourg has become famous as a world center for private banking and financial services. Luxembourg's financial institutions are of global importance. The EMU is managed by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt am Main. In 2009, the euro area expanded to 16 countries (after the accession of Slovakia).