Benelux Coin Set 2023

75 YEARS OF THE BRUSSELS TREATY
1948 was a historically significant year for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In that year, not only did the Customs Union come into being as the precursor of Benelux, but the three countries - together with France and the UK, plus all associated overseas territories - also concluded the Treaty of Brussels. The aim of this pact was to create Western European military cooperation, which bound the five member states to assist each other in case of aggression. This also allowed ties to be strengthened with the United States, which came up with the NATO initiative a year later. After its creation in 1949, the five Brussels Treaty countries decided to integrate their military organisation into NATO.
 
However, the Brussels Treaty continued to exist alongside NATO until it merged into the Western European Union (WEU) in 1954, to which the former Axis powers Italy and West Germany also joined. This European-level military cooperation organisation, which operated between 1954 and 2011, had at its peak ten full member states, six associate member states, five observer states and seven associate partners. During this period, however, most of the WEU's tasks were gradually incorporated within the framework of the European Union. As a result, WEU gradually became redundant and on 30 June 2011 the organisation ceased its activities.
 
All Benelux euro coins 2023 at a glance
This handsome coin set groups all 24 2023 euro coins from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in an impeccable BU quality. The luxurious four-panel card packaging with numbered sleeve is entirely dedicated to 75 years of the Brussels Treaty and the three Benelux government buildings this year. Learn more about the Palace of the Nation in Brussels, the Binnenhof in The Hague and Luxembourg's Parliament building.
 
The set also includes an exclusive medal with a diameter of 30 mm. On the obverse is a quote from the treaty: 1948 BRUSSELS PACT => FOR COLLABORATION IN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL MATTERS AND FOR COLLECTIVE SELF-DEFENCE. The spiral composed of 75 arrows (for 75 years) spirals larger and larger to symbolise the development and growing outcome of the treaty. The spiral starts in Brussels and involves all participating parties from the very beginning, the last arrow is behind 2023. Also shown here are the mint and mintmaster marks and initial designer. On the reverse, the spiral goes in the opposite direction, symbolically reducing with each turn the economic, social and cultural differences in the European union that was first formed by one after the other: the ECSC, EMU, European Community and is now the EU. Text: EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY - EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY - EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES - EUROPEAN UNION.
 
Specifications Medal: