10 Cent Chateau de Vianden

Vianden Castle, perched above the Our River in northeastern Luxembourg, was sold off and left to decay through the 19th century before Victor Hugo — exiled from France under Napoleon III — spent time there in 1871 and helped draw European attention to its deterioration. Systematic restoration only began in the 1970s.

The selective rhodium plating on this piece is applied to specific relief areas to create tonal contrast — a technique more common in proof sets targeting the collector market than anything intended for circulation.