Luxembourg

Commemorative coin

2017

The 200th anniversary of the Grand Duke Guillaume III

(Part of the National series " Grand-ducal Dynasty ")

Official Journal of the European Union

The design shows on the left hand the effigy of His Royal Highness, the Grand-Duke Henri, looking to the left and on the right hand the effigy of HRH the Grand-Duke Guillaume III. At the top of the design is depicted the year-date ‘2017’. At the bottom appears the text ‘GRANDS-DUCS DE LUXEMBOURG’. The name ‘GUILLAUME III’ followed by the indication of the year of birth ‘*1817’ is depicted above the respective effigy. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

William III. (1817-1890) was Duke of Limburg from 1849 to 1866 and King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1849 until his death. In 1867, the Luxembourg Crisis occurred when Napoleon III tried to buy Luxembourg from him. In the Second Treaty of London, Luxembourg was then declared "forever neutral". On the commemorative coin commemorating the 200th anniversary of his birth, William III is depicted on the right after a portrait painted in 1861 by Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister (1823-1904). On his neck he wears the Order of the Golden Fleece, furthermore (from top to bottom) the stylised breast stars of the Military Order of Wilhelm and the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands as well as the highest order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Nassau House Order of the Golden Lion. The reason for its foundation was the 600th anniversary of the division of the House of Nassau into the Ottonian and the Walramian line as well as the fiftieth anniversary of the Duchy of Nassau. The French form of William III's name and the year of his birth are depicted in an arch at the top right with "GUILLAUME III ✫ 1817" and the inscription "GRANDS-DUCS DE LUXEMBOURG" (Grand Dukes of Luxembourg) at the bottom.

Edge lettering

Designer