100th Birthday of Grand Duke Jean (Photo)

Portraits of the celebrant Grand Duke Jean with the inscription "JEAN" and "1921" to the left, and the reigning Grand Duke Henri with "HENRI" to the right. Along the left edge: the commemorative inscription "GROUSSHERZOGE VU LËTZEBURERG". Below left: the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Luxembourg; below right: the Adolphe Bridge and the year "2021".

Alongside the specially struck "minted photo image technique" proof, a regular-strike version with the same design was also issued.

Grand Duke Jean shaped Luxembourg like scarcely any other modern monarch. He reigned over the Grand Duchy from 1964 to 2000 — 36 years during which the country transformed from one of the poorest corners of Western Europe into one of the wealthiest states in the world. Jean, born on 5 January 1921 as Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano of Nassau-Weilburg, descended from the House of Nassau and assumed the regency after the abdication of his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte. His reign coincided with the height of European integration: under his rule, Luxembourg became home to key EU institutions, including the European Court of Justice and the Court of Auditors, cementing its reputation as the political heart of the Community.

Beyond his institutional role, Jean was regarded in Luxembourg as an approachable figure who, despite monarchical distance, maintained a close bond with the population. His commitment to culture and tradition, including the preservation of the Luxembourgish language and national heritage, contributed to a sense of identity in a country shaped by migration, multilingualism and economic change. Jean died on 23 April 2019 in Luxembourg City at the age of 98 and was buried in Notre-Dame Cathedral, the traditional burial site of the Grand Ducal House. On the occasion of his 100th birthday in 2021, Luxembourg honoured his memory together with the reigning Grand Duke Henri, Jean's son, who succeeded him in 2000.