20 years of euro banknotes and coins
20 years of euro bank notes and coins
The creative thinking behind the euro
THE EURO SYMBOL
- Inspired by the Greek letter epsilon (€) it is a reference to the cradle of European civilization
- Parallel lines signify stability of the euro
- Stands for the first letter of the word "Europe" in the Latin alphabet
347 million: number of Europeans (in 20 euro area countries) who use the euro
60: Number of countries, representing 175 million people, that have linked their own currency to the euro directly or indirectly
1999: Launch of the euro as an electronic currency
2002: Launch of the euro Banknotes and coins:
First series - There are 7 notations: €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500
2012: Second 'Europa' series
2024: Launch of new design
DESIGN
7 different sizes to make them easy to recognize, particularly for the visually impaired.
The colour spectrum is based on the colours of the rainbow.(Purple, Yellow, Green, Orange, Blue, Red, Grey)
Banknotes in circulation ranking (December 2021)
Total: 28,187,546,465
€50: 13,684,375,433
€20: 4,646,581,743
€100: 3,668,655,199
National central banks categorised some 5,1 billion banknotes as unt for circulation and replaced them (2019): 5,100,000,000
23,490 tonnes is the total weight of all existing banknotes for all denominations
Source: ECB
Why grey?
Grey is used for the most widely used banknote, the €5, to make dirt less visible
Production
It costs an average of around 8 cents to produce a euro banknote
Life cycle of a note?
€5 - €10 - €20 - €50 = 1 to 4 years
€100 - €200 = More than 10 years
Sustainability
Banknotes are printed on pure cotton-fibre paper recovered from residues of the yarn industry.
Upcoming re-design
2021: European Central Bank officially announces its plan to re-design the euro notes
2022 ( January): Euro design advisory Group set up
- Focus groups are set up to gather opinions from across the euro area on possible themes
- Design competition for new banknotes
- Second public consultation
2024 New euro banknote design expected to be selected
20 years of euro banknotes and coins
Details of the euro banknotes
SYMBOLISM:
On the front of both series, windows and doorways are shown. They symbolise the European spirit of openness and cooperation
On the back of both series, bridges symbolise communication between the people of Europe and between Europe and the rest of the world.
Banknotes (rst series) show architectural styles from various periods in Europe's history
- €5: Classical
- €10: Romanesque
- €20: Gothic
- €50: Renaissance
- €100: Baroque and Rococo
- €200: 19th century iron and glass architecture
- €500: Modern 20th century architecture - 500 banknote was withdrawn in 2019
SECURITY FEATURES
To check the authenticity of banknotes, the simple ‘Feel-Look-Tilt’ method can be used
8 security features for first series + 5 security features for Europa series
Raised print:
Feel the banknote and the thicker elements: the main image, the short raised lines and the large value numeral
Architectural style
Portrait hologram
Tilt the banknote. The hologram – the silvery stripe on the right – reveals a portrait of Europa. The stripe also shows a copy of the main image and the value of the banknote
Initials of the European Central Bank
Signatures
Banknotes from the Europa series bear the signature of either former European Central Bank President or current President Christine Lagarde. Banknotes with either signature are equally valid
Emerald number
The shiny number changes colour from emerald green to deep blue and displays an effect of the light that moves up and down
Portrait watermarks
Look at the banknote against the light. In the second series of banknotes the window in the hologram becomes transparent and reveals a portrait of Europa on both sides of the note.
This figure from Greek mythology was included because it adds a human touch to the banknotes. The image was taken from a vase in the Louvre museum in Paris
Stars of the European flag
The 12 stars represent the union between European nations. The number 12 symbolises perfection and harmony
Map of Europe recreated using satellite photographs
"Euro" in different alphabets Latin Greek Cyrillic
Upcoming re-design
2021: European Central Bank officially announces its plan to re-design the euro notes
2022 ( January): Euro design advisory Group set up
- Focus groups are set up to gather opinions from across the euro area on possible themes
- Design competition for new banknotes
- Second public consultation
2024 New euro banknote design expected to be selected
20 years of Euro banknotes and coins
Details of the euro coins
EURO COINS
There are 8 different denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, €1 and €2
Common sides of the euro coins show different maps of Europe
Common sides of the euro coins show different maps of Europe
3 different maps of Europe used for coin
The 3 different maps that can be found on the coins refer to the different stages of the EU enlargement:
- Recent EU map as of 2008 (includes Bulgaria and Romania that joined the EU in 2007)
- Europe as of 1 January 2007
- European Union before its enlargement on 1 May 2004
Sophisticated bi-metal and sandwich technologies incorporated
12 stars of the European Union’s flag
National side with specific design
3 layers: copper-nickel, nickel, copper-nickel
Nickel brass
Composition
Nordic gold - Copper - Copper-nickel
The material of the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins is a unique alloy (Nordic gold), which is di‑cult to melt.
This unique metal composition protects them against counterfeiting.
5, 2 and 1 cent show Europe in relation to Africa and Asia on a globe. They are made of copper-covered steel
Upcoming re-design
2021: European Central Bank officially announces its plan to re-design the euro notes
2022 ( January): Euro design advisory Ggroup set up
- Focus groups are set up to gather opinions from across the euro area on possible themes
- Design competition for new banknotes
- Second public consultation
2024 New euro banknote design expected to be selected
Last review: 27 January 2024