175 Years of the Chamber of Deputies and Luxembourg's First Constitution

Grand Duke Henri's portrait in full profile and, to the right, the historic Chamber of Deputies building in Luxembourg City. The issuing state "LUXEMBOURG" and the year "2023", separated by a dash, appear along the lower edge extending into the coin ring. The commemorative inscription "1848 Chambre des Députés" is legible above and to the right. The Paris Mint and Engraver-General Joaquin Jimenez's marks are placed below the word "Députés".

This coin was also issued as a photorealistic strike in a mintage of just 2,500. Both the portrait of Grand Duke Henri and the building of the Chamber of Deputies were rendered photorealistically. This variant is only included in the official coin set.

In March 1848, under pressure from the European revolutionary movements, Luxembourg adopted its first constitution and simultaneously established a Chamber of Deputies — both signs of a profound systemic shift from an absolutist Grand Duchy towards a constitutional state. At the time, Luxembourg found itself in an unusually entangled position: a formally sovereign Grand Duchy, yet also part of the German Confederation and closely tied to the Dutch royal house. In this context, the 1848 constitution was a distinctive step — it guaranteed basic rights, regulated the separation of powers, and laid the foundation for a parliamentary culture that still shapes the country today.

The Chamber of Deputies — Chambre des Députés in French, Chamberstëbel in Luxembourgish — is Luxembourg's unicameral parliament and is housed in a historic building in the heart of Luxembourg City. Although the 1848 constitution was replaced a few years later by more conservative versions, that year nonetheless marks the beginning of a continuous parliamentary development that found a more lasting foundation with the liberal constitution of 1868. In 2023, Luxembourg marked the 175th anniversary of this turning point with a national commemorative coin.