BU Benelux 2023 box set

Bu Benelux 2023

Description:

In 1948, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg played a key role in the creation of the Customs Union, which preceded the formation of the Benelux. In the same year, these three countries also signed the Treaty of Brussels, together with France and the United Kingdom, as well as all their overseas territories. The main aim of this treaty was to establish military cooperation in Western Europe, committing the five member states to mutual assistance in the event of aggression. It also strengthened transatlantic ties with the United States, which created NATO a year later in 1949. Subsequently, the five Brussels Treaty countries decided to integrate their military organizations within NATO.

However, the Brussels Treaty continued to exist alongside NATO until its merger with the Western European Union (WEU) in 1954. At that time, the WEU was also joined by Italy and West Germany, former Axis powers during the Second World War. The WEU, an organization for military cooperation in Europe, operated from 1954 to 2011, counting up to 10 full member states, 6 associate member states, 5 observer states and 7 associate partners at its peak. Over time, however, most of WEU's responsibilities have been progressively integrated into the framework of the European Union. As a result, the WEU lost its relevance and ceased operations on June 30, 2011.

In 2023, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Brussels Treaty, a set of Benelux euro coins has been issued. This set includes all 24 2023 euro coins from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, all in impeccable BU quality. The deluxe four-panel packaging, with numbered pocket, features the Treaty of Brussels and three iconic Benelux government buildings: the Palais de la Nation in Brussels, the Binnenhof in The Hague and the Luxembourg Parliament.

The set also includes an exclusive 30 mm-diameter medal. The obverse of the medal features a quotation from the treaty: "BRUSSELS PACT 1948 => FOR COLLABORATION IN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL MATTERS AND FOR COLLECTIVE SELF-DEFENSE". A spiral made up of 75 arrows, representing the 75 years of the treaty, gradually extends, symbolizing the treaty's ongoing development and success. The spiral begins in Brussels and includes all stakeholders from the beginning, with the last arrow dated 2023. Workshop marks, workshop masters and the medal's original designer are also listed. On the reverse of the medal, the spiral goes in the opposite direction, symbolizing the gradual reduction of economic, social and cultural disparities within the European context formed first by the ECSC, the EMU, the European Community and now the EU.

Volume of issue : 5,000 copies