2 Euro proof (5th proof set 2016 - 2018)

After the liberation of Luxembourg in the Second World War, the Grand Duchy introduced general conscription. This decision was connected with the experience of the German occupation and the country’s subsequent integration into the Western security order. In 1949, Luxembourg was one of NATO’s founding members and thereby undertook, despite its small size, to make its own contribution to collective defence.

Conscription was abolished in 1967. Since then, the Luxembourg Army has relied on people who voluntarily decide to enter military service, as well as on professional soldiers and civilian employees. “Volunteer army” does not mean that service is unpaid or voluntary in the honorary sense, but that no one is conscripted on the basis of a general service obligation. The change corresponded to the country’s limited human resources and resulted in a smaller, permanently available armed force.

The Army’s tasks are not limited to defending its own territory. Within its capabilities, Luxembourg participates in joint operations and structures of NATO, the European Union and the United Nations. These include contributions to peacekeeping missions, multinational formations, logistical support and humanitarian aid. In this context, the country often works closely with the armed forces of allied states, particularly Belgium.

Grand Duke Henri has been Luxembourg’s head of state since 2000. At the time of the coin’s issue, he also held a constitutional position in relation to the armed forces. His portrait thus establishes a connection between the Army and the state. At the same time, it reflects the Luxembourg practice of depicting the reigning Grand Duke on the national sides of euro coins.

The anniversary provided an opportunity to commemorate a lasting change in Luxembourg’s defence policy: the transition from an army based on conscription to armed forces on a voluntary basis. The coin therefore does not refer to a single military operation, but to the organisational structure in place since 1967.