2020 numismatic program of Luxemburg

Last update 11/07/2020

The CBL (Central Bank of Luxembourg) had presented us with the main lines of the 2020 numismatic program for Luxembourg. However, this program has undergone several developments during the year 2020, due to the Grand Ducal birth and the COVID19 pandemic.

This article will be regularly updated during the year.

This information concerns circulation coins as well as coins for collectors.

One of the two themes of the 2020 €2 commemorative coins has been modified from what was initially announced by the CBL.

Two gold and silver commemorative coins with 2019 yearmark will be issued in 2020. A series of commemorative coins dedicated to the birth of Prince Charles are also planned.

So a lots of news for 2020!

2020 circulation coins

As in 2019, only 50,000 complete sets of 8 coins will be minted by the KNM (Netherlands Mint) on behalf of Luxembourg. Moreover, the KNM has seen its minting contract on behalf of the BCL renewed for another four years, except for the products for collectors (BU and proof sets).

The CBL and the Luxembourg government remain in favour of the minting of 1 and 2 cent coins, which several other states have stopped minting. However, the mintage of 1 and 2 cent coins remains very low as the BCL has to cope with withdrawals in Luxembourg of 1 and 2 cent coins by Dutch and Belgian banks which have domestic demand in their respective countries for these small face value coins. In addition, the situation in Belgium has worsened since the corollary of the abolition of 1 and 2 cent coins minting, rounding prices to the nearest multiple of 5 cents, has become compulsory. Initially, this was supposed to be done on a voluntary basis.

Only the 5 and 10 cent coins will be minted for circulation in 2020, with 2 million and 1.55 million coins for each one of these values.

2020 Bu and proof coin sets

The BCL will issue two coin sets in 2020. The BU set will be dedicated to the city of Remich. It is part of the collection of BU sets dedicated to the cities of Luxemburg State. Their number was set at 12 by the law on municipalities of December 13th 1988.

Each Luxemburg municipality therefore has a set that is or will be dedicated to it by the year 2024, when the series will be closed with a set dedicated to the city of Luxemburg. The price of the BU set will increase by one euro in 2020.

Luxemburg BU set 2020

A proof set containing the 10 coins of the 2020 divisional series (8 circulation coins + 2 *€2 commemorative  coins) will be marketed in 2020, at the end of the year. 5,000 sets will be issued.

Please note that the 2019 proof set, sold at the beginning of December, is already sold out at the BCL. The price of the 2020 proof set will increase of three euros in 2020.

2020 commemorative coins 

The 2020 programme will be opened by an “ad hoc coin”, i.e. one that was not foreseen in a numismatic program.

1/ Coins celebrating Grand Duke John (with 2019 yearmark, but issued in 2020):

The first coin is a silver collector’s coin dedicated to Grand Duke John, who died in May 2019.

Fineness: AG 925/1000

Mintage: 1500 coins

Diameter: 34 mm

Weight: 28,49g

Face value: €5

The second coin  is a gold collector’s coin also dedicated to Grand Duke John death in May 2019.

Fineness: AU 999/1000

Mintage: 250 coins

Diameter: 34 mm

Weight: 28,49g

Face value: €100

2/  Luxemburg Pavilion coin at the 2020 DUBAI  World Expo: 

Metal: bimetallic – Nordic gold and silver

Shape: rectangular coin

Mintage: 2 500 coins

Date of issue: September or October 2020

NB: DUBAI expo is postponed until october 2021, CBL will market the coins in 2021 but collectors who ask can order and get the coin before the end of 2020. The coin anyway bears the 2020 year mark.

This coin is minted by the Mint of Poland.

3/ Series Fauna and flora of Luxemburg:

It is dedicated to a flower, the Bistorte.

Metal: Nordic gold and silver

Mintage: 3 000 coins

Issue date: May or June 2020

4/ Mermaid MELUSINE gold coin

Gold coin dedicated to the ancient mermaid Melusine

This coin is postponed april 2021

Metal: gold 999/1000

Weight: 1/10th ounce

Mintage: 1 500 coins

This coin is made of Fair Trade gold.

5/ Birth in Luxemburg’s monarch family

three coins, two gold and one silver coins, wild be issued on the occasion of the birth of the son of Prince William, heir to the Grand Ducal throne. Prince Charles is born in May 2020.

The first gold coin is a proof €250 gold coin of one once. It celebrates the couple and their son. The mintage will be of 250 coins.

NOTA BENE:

The series concerning the castles of Luxemburg ended with the 2019 issue. From 2021 onwards, the CBL is planning a new series dedicated to the winners of the european Charlemagne Prize.

These winners include Europeans, such as Robert SCHUMAN, but also non-European nationals who have worked for Europe, such as Pope John Paul II or Henri KISSINGER. This may increase the interest of collectors from the countries of origin of these personalities in collecting these pieces.

The coins of the future series will be made of silver and nobium.

2020 €2 commemorative coins

In June 2019, the CBL had announced two commemorative coins, one dedicated to Prince Henry and the other to Luxembourg’s ratification of the UN Charter in 1945.

This second theme is abandoned in favour of a coin dedicated to the next Grand Ducal birth.

The first €2 commemorative coin dedicated to Prince Henry will be issued at a 300,000 coins volume.

The second 2€ coin dedicated to the birth of Prince Charles will be issued in a number of between 500,000 and 600,000 coins, given the importance of the event for the Luxemburg’s population.

According to the CBL, the 1,000 coins proof coins included in proof annual set will be partially  engraved with a text in relief.

All the other versions of the coin (proof coin in individual box, BU and UNC coins) the text will be in 2D, without any relief.

Without prejudging the future value of the coin, we know this kind of differentiation by relief, in particular for the American Golden Eagles of the beginning of the 20th century. Between a normal double Gold Eagle and a double Golden Eagle ultra high relief, there is a price gap of 1 to 100, according to a similar numismatic condition.

It will be interesting to see the evolution over time of the proof €2 commemorative coin  with relief on numismatic market.

It is also the first time that the CBL puts into circulation a coin on which the portrait of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg does not appear.

Especially since this practice is imposed by the constitution of the Grand Duchy. Questioned on this point, the CBL specified to NUMISMAG that the portrait of the Grand Duke was replaced by his monogram in the top left corner, in order not to overload the graphics dedicated to a baby, which by its nature is small.

There is therefore a reference to the Grand Duke by the presence of the monogram.

The monogram of the Grand Duke replaces his portrait

As this is not the case, the coin dedicated to the ratification of the UN Charter has been left over.

No other commemorative coin will be either devoted to this subject.

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