40th Anniversary of the Charlemagne Prize Awarded to the People of Luxembourg

At the centre is the Charlemagne Prize medal with its pendant. Along the left edge of the coin appears part of the inscription marking the occasion, "PEUPLE LUXEMBOURGEOIS", with "PRIX CHARLEMAGNE 1986" at the lower right. The issue year "2026" is placed along the bottom edge, while the mint mark of the French mint, along with the marks of chief engraver Joaquin Jimenez and coin designer Chiara Principe, are positioned in the upper right area of the coin.

This coin is also issued in a limited mintage of 2,500 pieces as a photorealistic strike. This coin variant is only available as part of the official mint set.

The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen has been awarded since 1950 to individuals who have made a special contribution to European unification. In 1986, the Charlemagne Prize Directorate decided for the first time to honor not an individual but an entire people: the people of Luxembourg. The reasoning cited Luxembourg's consistently pro-European stance since the early days of European integration — its active role in shaping the European Coal and Steel Community, the Treaties of Rome, and the European institutions, as well as the country's willingness, as a small member state, to cede national sovereignty in favor of shared structures. Luxembourg was a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 and continues to host key EU institutions such as the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, and the General Secretariat of the European Parliament.

The 1986 award fits within a broader context of Luxembourg's European policy. The country has always played a mediating role among the larger member states and is regarded as a reliable driver of integration — not least because economic and political interdependence with the neighboring states of Belgium, France, and Germany is, for Luxembourg, no abstract idea but lived reality. Prominent Luxembourgers have significantly shaped European history, including Gaston Thorn as President of the European Commission and Jacques Santer, who also held that office. To mark the 40th anniversary of the Charlemagne Prize being awarded to the Luxembourg people, Luxembourg is issuing a 2-euro commemorative coin in 2026 recalling this special collective honor.