Euro is the EU currency. Put into circulation

Unlike coins, all euro banknotes have the same design, despite the fact that they are issued by almost all countries of the euro area.

Currently, there are two types of Euro banknotes in circulation - the first series of the 2002 sample and the second series (otherwise the “Europe” series), the release of which was extended over 6 years (2013-2019).

The banknotes, available in 7 denominations (5€, 10€, 20€, 50€, 100€, 200€ and 500€), depict examples of European architecture from different styles and periods of history. On the front side of the banknotes there are windows and gates, on the werewolves - bridges. The windows and gates symbolize the European spirit of openness and cooperation. Bridges are a symbol of communication between the inhabitants of Europe, as well as the connections between Europe and the rest of the world. The images are illustrative and not examples of existing buildings. Each denomination has a unique size and color.

The design of the banknotes was developed by the artist of the National Bank of Austria Robert Kalina (German: Robert Kalina) and was selected among 44 competition entries on December 3, 1996 by a council of the European Monetary Institute.

First episode

On each banknote of the 1st series there is a flag of the European Union, the abbreviation of the European Central Bank (ECB) in 5 language versions (BCE, ECB, EZB, EKT, EKP), a map of Europe, the name of the currency “euro” in Latin and Greek (“ ΕΥΡΩ") transcriptions, signature of the current ECB President and the year the banknotes were put into circulation - “2002”. The 12 stars of the European Union flag are also depicted.

5 euros (5 EURO)

Size: 120 x 62 mm
Main color: grey
Architectural style: classical

Front side: on the right side there is a triumphal arch, in the center there are 12 stars - the emblem of the European Union, in the upper left corner - the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of a stone aqueduct in classical style and a map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark in the form of a triumphal arch, copying the image on the front side, and the number “5”. A security thread with the repeating text "5 EURO" runs to the left of center. A 10 mm wide holographic stripe is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the euro symbol, denomination 5 or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

10 euros (10 EURO)

Size: 127 x 67 mm
Main color: red
Architectural style: Romanesque

Front side: on the right side there is an arch in the Romanesque style, in the center there are 12 stars - the emblem of the European Union, in the upper left corner - the EU flag.
Reverse side: Romanesque stone bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark in the form of an arch, copying the image on the front side, and the number “10”. A security thread with the repeating text "10 EURO" runs to the left of center. A 10mm wide holographic stripe is located on the right edge of the front side. Depending on your viewing angle, you can see the euro symbol, the denomination 10, or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

20 euros (20 EURO)

Size: 133 x 72 mm
Main color: blue
Architectural style: Gothic

Obverse: The right side shows a Gothic arched window. In the center there are 12 stars - the emblem of the European Union, and in the upper left corner - the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of a Gothic stone bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark in the form of a Gothic arched window, as on the front of the banknote, and the number "20". A security thread with the repeating text "20 EURO" runs to the left of center. A 10 mm wide holographic stripe is located on the right side of the front. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the euro symbol, the denomination 20, or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

50 euros (50 EURO)

Size: 140 x 77 mm
Main color: orange
Architectural style: Renaissance

Front side: on the right side there is a window in the Renaissance style. There are 12 stars in the center - the emblem of the European Union in the upper left corner is the EU flag.
Reverse side: Renaissance style stone bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark - a window, like on the front side, and the number “50”. A security thread with the repeating text "50 EURO" runs to the left of center. The hologram is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the denomination “50”, an architectural fragment (a window on the front side of the banknote) or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

100 euros (100 EURO)

Size: 147 x 82 mm
Main color: green
Architectural style: Baroque and Rococo

Front side: on the right side there is an arch with atlases, made in the Baroque and Rococo style. In the center are 12 stars - the emblem of the European Union, in the upper left corner is the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of the bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark - an arch, like on the front side of the banknote, and the number “100”. A security thread with the repeating text "100 EURO" runs to the left of center. The hologram is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the number “100”, an architectural fragment (an arch on the front side of the banknote) or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

200 euros (200 EURO)

Size: 153 x 82 mm
Main color: yellow
Architectural style: steel and glass architecture

Front side: On the right side there is a gate made in the “metal and glass” style. There are 12 stars in the center - the emblem of the European Union in the upper left corner is the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of a bridge built from metal structures and a map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark in the form of a gate, as on the front of the banknote, and the number “200”. A security thread with the repeating text "200 EURO" runs to the left of center. The hologram is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on your viewing angle, you can see the number “200”, a gate like on the front of a banknote, or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

500 euros (500 EURO)

Size: 160 x 82 mm
Main color: violet
Architectural style: modern architecture of the 20th century

Front side: on the right side is the facade of a modern building. In the center there are 12 stars - the symbol of the European Union, in the upper left corner - the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of a modern metal bridge and a map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark made in the form of a building facade, as on the front side of the banknote, and the number “500”. A security thread with the repeating text "500 EURO" runs to the left of center. The hologram is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, it shows the number “500”, an architectural fragment (the facade on the front side of the banknote) or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

Second series

The development of the design of the Europa series banknotes was entrusted to the German graphic artist and designer Reinhold Gerstetter.

Just like the 1st series banknotes, the Europe series features the flag of the European Union. In addition, there is the name of the currency “euro” in three alphabets - Latin, Greek and Cyrillic (EURO ΕΥΡΩ EURO). The inscription “EURO” appeared in connection with Bulgaria’s accession to the EU. The signature of the President of the European Central Bank has been replaced by the EU flag. Since November 1, 2011, the ECB has been headed by Mario Draghi. The 12 stars of the European Union flag are also depicted. The abbreviation "ECB" has been moved vertically to the left. For denominations of 5, 10 and 20 euros - in 9 language versions (BCE ECB ECB EZB EKP EKT EKB BĊE EBC), for denominations of 50, 100 and 200 euros - in 10 versions (BCE ECB ECB EZB EKP EKT ESB EKB BĊE EBC). This is due to Croatia’s accession to the European Union on July 1, 2013.

Each denomination has its own year, in accordance with the chronology of its introduction into circulation.

Due to the increase in the number of EU member states, the map of Europe on the reverse side of the banknotes has been expanded to the east, and Malta and Cyprus have also appeared on it.

The new series of 50, 100 and 200 euro banknotes now have the same height (77 mm), making them easy to use. Their length remains the same, but the difference is not noticeable.

On 4 May 2016, the European Central Bank decided not to issue 500 euro banknotes in the Europe series. The withdrawal of banknotes of this denomination from circulation is primarily due to the fact that they are often used for illegal purposes. After all, the 500-euro note is one of the most valuable in the world.

Size: 120 x 62 mm
Main color: grey
Architectural style: classical
Announcement: January 10, 2013
Emission: May 2, 2013

Front side: in the center there is a triumphal arch surrounded by 12 stars - the emblem of the European Union, in the upper left corner - the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of a stone aqueduct in classical style and a map of Europe. The banknote is protected by the "Europe" watermark from Greek mythology and the number "5". A security thread with the repeating text "5 EURO" runs to the left of center. A 10 mm wide holographic stripe is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the euro symbol, denomination 5, or the word “EURO” in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic (EURO ΕΥΡΩ EURO) on it.

Size: 127 x 67 mm
Main color: red
Architectural style: Romanesque
Announcement: January 13, 2014
Emission: September 23, 2014

Front side: depicts a Romanesque arch surrounded by 12 stars, the emblem of the European Union, and the EU flag in the upper left corner.
Reverse side: Romanesque stone bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by the "Europe" watermark from Greek mythology and the number "10". A security thread with the repeating text "10 EURO" runs to the left of center. A 10mm wide holographic stripe is located on the right edge of the front side. Depending on your viewing angle, you can see the euro symbol, the denomination 10, or the word “EURO” in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic (EURO ΕΥΡΩ EURO).

Size: 133 x 72 mm
Main color: blue
Architectural style: Gothic
Announcement: February 24, 2015
Emission: November 25, 2015

Obverse: In the center there is a Gothic arched window surrounded by 12 EU stars, and in the upper left corner is the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of a Gothic stone bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by a watermark - the watermark "Europe" from Greek mythology and the number "20". A security thread with the repeating text "20 EURO" runs to the left of center. A 10 mm wide holographic stripe is located on the right side of the front. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the euro symbol, the denomination 20, or the word “EURO” in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic (EURO ΕΥΡΩ EURO).

50 euros (50 EURO)

Size: 140 x 77 mm
Main color: orange
Architectural style: Renaissance
Announcement: July 25, 2016
Emission: April 4, 2017

Front side: in the center there is a window in the Renaissance style surrounded by 12 EU stars, in the upper left corner there is an EU flag.
Reverse side: Renaissance style stone bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by the watermark "Europe" from Greek mythology and the number "50". A security thread with the repeating text "50 EURO" runs to the left of center. The hologram is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the denomination “50”, an architectural fragment (window on the front side of the banknote) or the word “EURO” in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic (EURO ΕΥΡΩ EURO).

100 euros (100 EURO)

Size: 147 x 77 mm
Main color: green
Architectural style: Baroque and Rococo
Announcement: September 17, 2018
Emission: August 28, 2019

Front side: depicts an arch with atlases, made in Baroque and Rococo style, surrounded by 12 EU stars, in the upper left corner is the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of the bridge and map of Europe. The banknote is protected by the watermark "Europe" from Greek mythology and the number "100". A security thread with the repeating text "100 EURO" runs to the left of center. The hologram is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the number “100”, an architectural fragment (an arch on the front side of the banknote) or a word in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic (EURO ΕΥΡΩ EURO).

200 euros (200 EURO)

Size: 153 x 77 mm
Main color: yellow
Architectural style: steel and glass architecture
Announcement: September 17, 2018
Emission: August 28, 2019

Front side: a gate made in the style of “metal and glass” is depicted, surrounded by 12 EU stars, in the upper left corner is the EU flag.
Reverse side: image of a bridge built from metal structures and a map of Europe. The banknote is protected by the "Europe" watermark from Greek mythology and the number "200". A security thread with the repeating text "200 EURO" runs to the left of center. The hologram is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the number “200”, a gate, as on the front side of the banknote, or the word “EURO” in Latin, Greek and Cyrillic (EURO ΕΥΡΩ EURO).

Code of the country

Euro banknotes have the right to print exclusively by national central banks of countries belonging to the eurozone in agreement with the European Central Bank (ECB). The decision on the additional issue is made at a meeting of the ECB Governing Council, which includes 6 members of the ECB Directorate appointed by the European Parliament and 16 governors of national banks of the eurozone countries.

Where exactly the banknotes themselves are printed depends on each country. Almost all member states of the euro area print “their” banknotes both at their own printing houses and at printing houses in other countries.

You can determine for which country the banknote was printed by its number - the first letter of the number indicates the issuing state. Also, a checksum is “linked” to each country, which is one of the degrees of protection of banknotes from counterfeiting.

Code	A country	Check sum
D	Estonia	4
E	Slovakia	3
F	Malta	2
G	Cyprus	1
H	Slovenia	9
I**	not used
J*	Great Britain	7
K*	Sweden	6
L	Finland	5
M	Portugal	4
N	Austria	3
O**	not used
P	Netherlands	1
Q**	not used
R***	Luxembourg	8
S	Italy	7
T	Ireland	6
U	France	5
V	Spain	4
W*	Denmark	3
X	Germany	2
Y	Greece	1
Z	Belgium	9

* Denmark, Sweden and the UK have not yet joined the euro area, but national identifiers have already been assigned to them
*** Luxembourg does not have its own certified printing houses and has not yet issued its “own” banknotes

Cliche code

Each of the 7 denominations of euro banknotes has a six-character code that contains information about the printing house on which the banknote was printed. The cliche code looks like “G013B6”, where the first letter identifies the printing house, the next three digits identify the cliche number. For example, "013" represents the 13th printing block of the printing house. The fifth and sixth elements of the code indicate, respectively, the row and column of the banknote location on the cliche. This means that with this code the banknote was located on the cliche in the second row, sixth column. Attention: the cliché code on the banknote must not coincide with the country code!

In the European Union there are both state printing houses and private ones that have a license to print money. Several printing houses from former East and West German territories operate in Germany. In France, the Bank of France printing house in Chamalieres and a private printing house in Chantepie have the right to issue Eurobanknotes.

Printing house identifier table

Code	Printing house	Location	A country	Issuing country
(A)*	(Bank of England Printing Works)	(Lawton)	(Great Britain)	—
(B)**	not used	—	—	—
(C)*	(Tumba Bruk)	(Tumba)	(Sweden)	—
D***	Setec Oy	Vantaa	Finland	L (Finland)
E	F.C. Oberthur	Chantepie	France	H (Slovenia) L (Finland) P (Netherlands) U (France)
F	Osterreichische Banknoten und Sicherheitsdruck	Vein	Austria	N (Austria) P (Netherlands) S (Italy) T (Ireland) Y (Greece)
G	Koninklijke Joh. Enschede	Haarlem	Netherlands	E (Slovakia) F (Malta) G (Cyprus) L (Finland) N (Austria) P (Netherlands) V (Spain) Y (Greece)
H	De La Rue	Gateshead	Great Britain	L (Finland) M (Portugal) P (Netherlands) T (Ireland)
(I)**	not used	—	—	—
J	Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato	Rome	Italy	S (Italy)
K	Banc Ceannais na hEireann/ Central Bank of Ireland	Dublin	Ireland	T (Ireland)
L	Banque de France	Chamalier	France	U (France)
M	Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre	Madrid	Spain	V (Spain)
N	Bank of Greece	Athens	Greece	Y (Greece)
(O)**	not used	—	—	—
P	Giesecke & Devrient	Munich and Leipzig	Germany	L (Finland) M (Portugal) P (Netherlands) U (France) V (Spain) X (Germany) Y (Greece)
(Q)**	not used	—	—	—
R	Bundesdruckerei	Berlin	Germany	P (Netherlands) X (Germany) Y (Greece)
(S)*	(Danmarks National Bank)	(Copenhagen)	(Denmark)	—
T	National Bank of Belgium	Brussels	Belgium	U (France) V (Spain) Z (Belgium)
U	Valora - Banco de Portugal	Carregado	Portugal	M (Portugal)

* Denmark, Sweden and the UK have not yet joined the euro area, but their national printing houses have already been assigned identifiers
** Several letters are already reserved for the future
***Currently not in use. After the complete sale of the printing house to Gemalto Oy in 2003, Finland stopped printing banknotes and ordered them from Europe.

European Central Bank (ECB) and its Presidents

The European Central Bank is the central bank of the European Union and the euro area. It was formed on June 1, 1998. The bank's headquarters is located in the German city of Frankfurt am Main. Its staff includes representatives from all EU member states.

Main functions of the bank:

development and implementation of euro area monetary policy;
maintenance and management of official exchange reserves of euro area countries;
issue of euro banknotes;
setting basic interest rates.
maintaining price stability in the eurozone, that is, ensuring the inflation rate does not exceed 2%.

The European Central Bank is the successor to the European Monetary Institute (EMI), which played a leading role in the preparations for the introduction of the euro in 1999.

All euro banknotes bear the signature of the current President of the ECB. Directors are appointed for a term of eight years. In 1998—2012 the bank was headed by:

Wim Duisenberg (Wim Duisenberg) (07/09/1935 - 07/31/2005), Minister of Finance of the Netherlands (1982-1997) and first President of the European Central Bank (June 1, 1998 - October 31, 2003).
Jean-Claude Trichet (Jean-Claude Trichet) (b. 12/20/1942), Governor of the Bank of France since 1993, President of the ECB from November 1, 2003 to October 31, 2011.
Mario Draghi (Mario Draghi) (b. 09/03/1947), head of the Bank of Italy in 2005-2011, since November 1, 2011 - president of the European Central Bank.

Franklin's portrait is offset to the left of center, with the inscription "FRANKLIN" underneath it. On the right, where the portrait of previous series of dollars was placed, there is a watermark and a security thread. On the left side of the portrait is the Federal Reserve Seal (black), above which are a letter and number indicating the Federal Reserve Bank that issued the note. One hundred US dollars So remember our words that you need to prepare “bucks” like a cart in the winter. The other day, a travel agency told me a real situation - a case with one of the Ryazan residents. Preparing for a trip to London, he went to the central branch of Sberbank and purchased pounds sterling. Having arrived in the capital of “Foggy Albion”, at the airport he was faced with the fact that he was handed old-style banknotes that are no longer in circulation in Britain. Joke. There seems to be money, but it seems there isn’t.

New 20 euros

For example, on July 7, Rinvestbank refused to accept hundreds of copies of the 1996 version. The answer was completely shocking in its simplicity and unprofessionalism.

They say that the cashier cannot check the authenticity of this bill. What a miracle. Just six months ago they knew how to identify it, but now they don’t.

When our correspondent asked what the reason was, a very strange and completely “bureaucratic” answer followed. They say that there is an instruction from the bank management not to accept this type of payment document for exchange.

The manager of the corresponding department (Pervomaisky Prospekt, 14) also answered us. They even gave a verbal reference to paragraph 4.3. The instructions of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, which do not correspond to the situation at all.

After all, an undamaged banknote was presented for exchange, without marks or mold, it’s just “not new.” And the citizen presented his passport during the exchange - they say, if this banknote is counterfeit, then I will answer according to the law.

Exchange old euros for new ones

Queues at exchange offices are a quite common sight during difficult periods. In Europe now, when the countries of the region are experiencing a debt crisis and from time to time there is talk about the collapse of the euro zone, the demand for cash dollars in large denominations has also increased. In short, if you had old-style money, then your absolutely appropriate action is to go to any bank branch and ask at the cash desk to replace the old money with new ones issued by the NBU mint.
According to the above-mentioned NBU resolution, banknotes issued in 1996 and 2001 still function in circulation without a time limit until they are completely withdrawn.

Will there be a forced exchange of euro banknotes in Europe?

Attention

Others do not work with notes from older issues still in circulation. One more point: the smaller the damaged banknote, the more difficult it is to change it. The easiest way is to contact Sberbank of Russia.

This is one of the few banks where you can sell and exchange damaged and dilapidated banknotes in all branches. At the same time, the commission amount is relatively high. If you don’t want to lose on commissions, then you can try using worn foreign banknotes abroad. By the way, the “money changers” who hang out at banks will take banknotes without any problems.

Info

Due to the introduction of new 100-dollar bills, old bills may be withdrawn from circulation. On the right side of the portrait is the seal of the State Treasury (green). In the upper left and lower right corners of the banknote there is a serial number - a combination of eight numbers and three letters.

The first letter indicates the series number.

Euro banknotes

1 2 Euro-Serie 2.0 in den Startlöchern - Banknotendruck erwies sich tatsächlich als krisensicher - Maschinenbauer Koenig & Bauer sah "kaum Einbruch" - Wiener Zeitung Online.Wienerzeitung.at. Retrieved March 13, 2012. Archived January 21, 2013.
1 2 ECB to launch new euro banknotes in May, AFP 9 November 2012
The life cycle of a banknote Archived September 26, 2007, De Nederlandsche Bank.
Accessed 2007-08-17.
EURO BANKNOTES - COMPARE BOTH €5 BANKNOTES
The New 5 Archived February 13, 2013. New Banknotes ECB
The new €10
The ECB presented the new 20 euros.
The Security Features of Euro Banknotes.
European Central Bank. How the Euro Became Our Money. - Europa web portal, 2007. - S.

Old 100 dollar bills expiration date

As soon as passions calm down, Americans, and not only them, will have to use defective dollars. Searching for a defect is already expensive, and the inconvenience of users who may be suspected of trying to pay with counterfeit dollars is still only a distant prospect. Oleg SKVORTSOV, expert-auditor, website www.512007.ru Help from Novaya How to distinguish a new banknote from an old one? The main feature of the updated banknote will be a security thread made using microprinting technology. It will be made in such a clever way that when the banknote is tilted up and down, the image printed on it will move from side to side.

100 old style dollars valid until

Three-dimensional images, watermarks, colored elements, microprinting are the main differences between security elements. The inkwell with the emerging bell is an important security feature on the new 2009 Series $100 bill. A three-dimensional security tape is woven into the fibers of the banknote. When the banknote is rotated, images of the number 100 appear on the ribbon. The image of a bell and the number 100 in the lower right corner of the obverse is applied using optical paint, which changes the shade of the design from copper to green. A gold feather appears on the front side, along which there is an inscription – ONE HUNDRED USA. Dollars have raised parts that can be felt to the touch. There is a sense of roughness in the portrait of B. Franklin, made using the intaglio printing method. The security thread reads the abbreviation USA and the numbers 100, which are placed vertically and visible on both sides.

The new 20 euros are in circulation, the old ones do not need to be changed

The Russian news agency AlterNews writes about this. “The issuance of new banknotes is an important event not only for the United States: approximately 50-75% of all $100 bills (out of 8.6 billion bills) are exported abroad. Moreover, it is believed that it is money exported abroad that is most often counterfeited,” the article says.

Journalists suggest that replacing old banknotes with new ones can cause some difficulties, as in 1996 during the launch of the new, at that time, 100 dollars. If the bill begins to move from side to side, the image on the security thread will begin to move upward - down. In addition, when printing new banknotes, other security elements will be used.

The second series, entitled "Europe", was released into circulation in May 2013. The new series includes minor changes, in particular the addition of a portrait of the mythological princess of Europa as a watermark and on the holographic tape. The new series uses the latest anti-counterfeiting measures, while the design follows the same theme - bridges and arches.

However, the new banknotes are easy to distinguish from the old series. The design changes affect the map of Europe - it is expanded east to include Cyprus, and the island of Malta is also depicted. These changes are associated with the accession of Cyprus and Malta to the EU. In connection with Bulgaria's accession to the EU, the new series of euro banknotes bears the inscription “EBPO”, as well as the abbreviation “ECB” (abbreviation for the Bulgarian.

European Central Bank). The banknotes bear the signature of Mario Draghi, the current President of the ECB.

Old style Euro expiration date

True, only if they do not cover more than 20% of one of the indicators of solvency. “Normal” includes torn and sealed banknotes, if the tear does not exceed a quarter of the width of the banknote and with punctures with a diameter of up to 0.5 mm.

$100 bill: size, replacement, circulation The report of the inspector who checked the activities of the bureau and the causes of problems, cited by Bloomberg, talks about 1.4 billion new bills that the Fed did not accept. At the moment, the American dollar is the most widely used currency in the world.

It even serves as the main currency in a number of countries. There is a total of $1.18 trillion in cash in circulation. Over the past five years, the number of dollars in circulation has increased by 42%. And this despite the fact that the volume of cash circulation in the United States is 7% of GDP.
The overseas territories shown on the map of Europe are the Azores, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira Islands, Martinique, Reunion Island and the Canary Islands. Cyprus and Malta are not shown as they only joined the European Union in 2004.

In addition, Malta is too small to be depicted on a map at the accepted scale. The minimum area that can be depicted is 400 km².

However, both Malta and Cyprus were added to the "Europe" series of banknotes. The signature of the ECB President is reproduced on the banknotes.

Series "Europe"[edit | edit code] 5-euro banknote of the new “Europe” series. The name of the currency is displayed in three versions: Latin (EURO), Greek alphabet (EYPΩ) and Cyrillic (EURO). The Cyrillic alphabet was added due to Bulgaria's accession to the EU in 2007. The ECB intends to issue a new series of banknotes every seven or eight years.

Old style euro validity period in Belarus

3 Protection against counterfeiting
4 For people with disabilities
5 Souvenir banknotes
6 Notes

There are currently 7 denominations of banknotes in circulation: Series 2002 Image Denomination (euro) Dimensions (mm) Main color Design Issuer code position Front side Back side Style Century 5 120×62 gray Antiquity V left edge of the image 10 127×67 red Romanesque style XI - XII star at eight o'clock 20 133×72 light blue Gothic XIII - XIV star at nine o'clock 50 140×77 orange Renaissance XV - XVI right edge of the image 100 147×82 green Baroque and Rococo XVII - XVIII to the right of the star on nine o'clock 200 153×82 yellow Industrial architecture XIX above the star at seven o'clock 500 160×82 purple Modern architecture XX - XXI star at nine o'clock Image scale - 1.0 pixels per millimeter.

Watermark:

The banknote is protected by a watermark in the form of an arch, copying the image on the front side, and the number “50”. A security thread with the repeating text "50 EURO" runs to the left of center.

Obverse:

On the right side there is a Gothic arched window of the 15th-16th centuries, in the center there are 12 stars - the emblem of the European Union, in the upper left corner there is a European flag.

Reverse:

Architectural style: Renaissance.

Image of a Gothic stone bridge and map of Europe.

A possible example for the image on the 50 euro note could be the bridge in Toulouse (Pont Neuf, 1632). The special thing about this Renaissance bridge is that it is largely built from bricks. It was rather unusual then, but probably the builders simply did not have enough stones. Therefore, only individual reinforcing struts are made of natural stone.

On the reverse side of the 50, 100, 200 and 500 euro banknotes in the lower right corner, the digital denomination is made with paint that changes color from violet to olive and brown under different viewing angles.

A comment:

The design of the banknotes was developed by the artist of the Austrian National Bank, Robert Kalina, and was selected among 44 competition entries on December 3, 1996 by a council of the European Monetary Institute.

All euro banknotes bear the signature of the current President of the ECB. Directors are appointed for a term of eight years.

The following islands and overseas departments are shown on the back of the euro banknote: Azores, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique and Reunion.

A security thread with the repeating text "50 EURO" runs to the left of center. A 10 mm wide holographic window is located on the right side of the front side. Depending on the angle of view, you can see the euro symbol, the denomination 50, or the word “EURO” in the Latin and Greek alphabets.

Each of the 7 denominations of euro banknotes has a six-character code that contains information about the printing house on which the banknote was printed. The cliche code looks like "G013B6", where the first letter identifies the printing house, the next three digits identify the cliche number. For example, "001" indicates the 01st printing block of the printing house. The fifth and sixth elements of the code indicate, respectively, the row and column of the banknote location on the cliche. This means that with this code the banknote was located on the cliche in the second row, sixth column.

Attention: the cliché code on the banknote must not coincide with the country code!

The European currency is considered one of the world's. It is expensive and popular, which is why counterfeiters often try to counterfeit it. And there are quite a lot of comic banknotes imitating the euro. When traveling you will have to contact the euro. But how can you avoid making a mistake due to inexperience and mistaking a counterfeit for a real banknote? What kind of euro bills and coins are there anyway? Let's figure it out.

The Euro is the single currency of the European Union, existing since 2002. It is designed in a single schematic architectural style. A unified design using architectural monuments was invented by Robert Kalina. But the original idea of specific historical buildings was eventually replaced by schematic images.

Like any currency, the euro has its own distinctive features. Which ones are worth highlighting first:

Spreading: the entire European Union (as a means of payment).
Quantity: seven bills (from 5 to 500) and eight coins (from 1 to 50 euro cents, 1 and 2 euros).
Design: designed in the same style (each banknote reflects a historical era, and the coin represents a stage of the unification of the European Union).
Significance: the world's generally accepted reserve currency (second only to the dollar), the peg currency in some countries.

Today there are seven banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 euros. There are eight coins, six of which are changeable: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 euro cents and 1, 2 euros.

No matter how many photos of a 1,000 euro note appear on the Internet, such a banknote simply does not exist. The European Union does not yet see the point in it, so all the images are just drawings or fakes.

Only national central banks of EU countries have the right to issue euros. At the same time, they are required to obey the European Central Bank (ECB), located in Frankfurt. It is this body that decides whether the country's mints can issue additional money, or whether there is no need to issue it.

It is interesting that the mints of some countries can be located on the territory of others. But this will not affect the appearance of the bill. Let’s say that if a country locates a mint on German territory, then the coins issued there will not bear the German coat of arms.

What types of Euro coins are there?

Today there are eight coins in circulation. Six of them are eurocent change coins, something like our kopecks. Although the coins are minted in different countries and in different designs, the entire coin series has common elements:

European map and denomination figure against its background;
12 stars each on the reverse and obverse (and on the reverse they are connected by straight lines);
single font;
sketchiness in the image.

The reverse design of coins has its own philosophy. Their appearance is slightly different:

The 1, 2 and 5 euro cents feature a globe depicting where exactly Europe is located in the world;
10, 20 and 50 euro cents show fragmented EU member states that are just about to unite into a single “organism”;
1 and 2 euros show a common map of Europe, as a united territory without clear boundaries and barriers.

Image	Name
	2 Euro
	1 Euro
	50 Eurocents
	20 Eurocents
	10 Euro cents
	5 Eurocents
	2 Euro cents
	1 Eurocent

Countries do not have the right to change the reverse design in their own interests. Only the obverse, the “national side,” is left to the mints. They are free to do whatever they want with it, there is only one rule: they must keep 12 stars on the outer ring.

Features of stamping in different countries

Each Eurozone country has the right to create unique coins. They will always have a different obverse (the so-called national side), making it easy to identify where exactly a particular piece was produced. Each option always has 12 stars, most often they are located in a circle. But the rest of the content can vary greatly.

On the national side, each country's mint depicts something different. There are 23 obverse options (interestingly, euro coins are issued by countries such as Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City and San Marino, although they are not members of the European Union).

In addition, some countries may issue several types of the same coins - for example, Belgium created as many as four varieties of 1 euro between 1999 and 2014.

Euro cents

In the European Union you can find small change coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro cents. The first three are cast from steel, and their covering is made from copper. That's why they appear red. Some even call them coppers because of this. The edge of these coins is smooth, only 2 euro cents have a groove along the entire diameter.

Denominations from 10 to 50 euro cents are made of Scandinavian gold - a special copper alloy with the addition of aluminum, zinc and tin, which received its noble name for its golden hue. It is impossible to confuse them with real gold coins. As for the edge, the 10 and 50 euro cents have a ribbed edge. And 20 euro cents have a unique feature - the so-called Spanish flower: seven dents across equal diameter segments.

1 and 2 Euro

These two coins are bimetallic - they have a center and an outer circle with twelve stars on duty. The 1 euro coin has a yellow outer circle, while the 2 euro coin has a white outer circle.

Among the 2 euros, the most common are commemorative and anniversary coins - this denomination is used to create such money for collectors - there are more than 300 varieties in total.

The edge of the 1 euro coin is divided into six alternating segments. Three of them are perfectly smooth, three are finely ribbed. But for 2 euros everything is much more interesting. There is always an inscription on the finely ribbed edge, the content of which differs depending on the country that minted the coin. For example, a German coin has the first line of the national anthem written on the edge (EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT) with a large dot at the end. And the Dutch version contains the inscription “God is with us”, interrupted by stars (GOD ★ ZIJ ★ MET ★ ONS ★).

Anniversary and commemorative coins

As a rule, the denomination of 2 euros is used to create commemorative coins. As of March 2018, the European Union had released 309 varieties. Each country has the right to produce its own unique “souvenirs”, which depict some significant event for it - for example, the Finnish “100 Years of Independence”. The European Union also publishes general series on one topic, uniting all states.

“Souvenirs” are, of course, legal tender. But, since they have a collectible value and were originally sold in banks, no one uses them for their intended purpose as currency. But they should not be confused with commemorative coins made of precious metals.

Over the entire existence of the European Union, four “general” series have been released:

Treaty of Rome (2007, 13 coins);
10 years of Economic and Monetary Union (2009, 16 coins);
10 years euro (2012, 17 coins);
30th anniversary of the European flag (2015, 19 coins).

Image	Name
	Treaty of Rome
	10 years of Economic and Monetary Union
	10 years euro
	30 years of the European flag

In addition, countries are free to issue entire series of commemorative coins. For example, Germany was concerned with creating the “German Federal States” line, consisting of 16 coins. And Spain is releasing a series of “UNESCO Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites”.

There is also a 5 euro coin. It is considered legal tender, but only in the country that issued it. Most often it does not go into circulation, but is used as a collection item.

What are Euro banknotes?

The paper money of the European Union follows a certain design. The creators decided to display in currency the architectural styles that were ever used in the territory of the association. The money seems to trace the progress of architecture from antiquity to modern times. The obverse of each banknote necessarily depicts a building in a certain style, and the reverse shows a bridge in it.

The higher the denomination of the bill, the larger its size. The smallest banknote is 5 euros. The largest, respectively, is 500.

How are Euros protected?

Euro banknotes are considered to be the most secure in the world. They are the hardest to fake. Although counterfeiters sometimes succeed. In any case, it will not be possible to imitate all the means of protection, of which there are quite a lot. How are banknotes protected?

Paper: special cotton. Makes a characteristic crunch when bent, hard. Does not glow in UV rays.
Raised print b: denomination, ECB abbreviation, main design of the banknote, year of printing.
Water marks: banknote denominations in the corner and in the center of one of the sides, the security thread is almost in the center.
Denomination: The numbers change color from olive to brown on 50-500 euro bills.
Hologram: Displays the denomination or style element of the bill. For 5-20 euros - a stripe across the entire width of the banknote, for larger money - a geometric image with architecture.
Perforation: on a hologram with the € symbol.
Microtext: name of the currency in two languages.
Serial number: Consists of a letter and 11 numbers. Generated using a special algorithm, the last digit is calculated separately from the rest and coincides with the issuing country. The serial number also has a checksum.
Protective strip: mother-of-pearl stripe with denomination and € symbol in the center of the reverse of 5, 10, 20 euro notes.
UV luminescence: individual elements on banknotes should glow in ultraviolet light in different colors. For example, the mandatory flag of the European Union is green with orange stars, and the signature of the ECB President is yellow-green. Also, in UV rays, paper fibers of red, green and blue colors should be visible, chaotically imprinted (not glued) into the bill web.
Other tags: Magnetic and infrared tags are used.

And these are not all the elements that protect currency from counterfeiting. Some of them are deliberately not disclosed by the European Central Bank in order to protect the banknotes from counterfeiting. But even this list is enough to find out which piece of paper is fake.

The new banknotes of the “Europe” series have added a portrait of Europe in the form of a watermark and a drawing on the right side of the front side of the bill.

How to distinguish the country of origin of a banknote

Unlike coins, banknotes do not have their own national sides. But the issuer can still be identified. Since each of the bills has a serial number, this is what you need to look at first.

Each serial number has a letter. And each letter corresponds to a specific country that has the right to issue banknotes. For example, Portuguese 100 euros will start with the letter M, while German ones will start with X.

5 euros

The smallest banknote, both in denomination and in size, is only 120x62 mm. Made in an unremarkable gray color. It depicts buildings in the architectural antique style: on the obverse - the portal of an unidentified temple, on the reverse - a typical two-tier bridge (presumably the Pont du Gard aqueduct). In 2013, this banknote was reissued as the first banknote of the “Europe” series.

Sample new 10 euro bills

Sample old 10 euro bills

Since the release of the first Euro banknotes, new countries have joined the EU. Therefore, on the banknotes the name of the currency will be written not only in Latin (EURO) and Greek (EYPΩ) letters, but also in Cyrillic (EBPO).

The designers also changed the map of Europe on the back of the bill. It added Malta and Cyprus, which joined the European Union after the launch of the first series of the EU single currency.

As reported on the website of the European Central Bank, the authenticity of the new banknote will be recognized by several visible and tangible security elements.

The old 10-euro banknotes are not being withdrawn from circulation yet: they will be accepted by trade and service organizations on the same basis as the old ones. At the same time, they will be gradually withdrawn from circulation.

As previously stated by the European Central Bank, one of the main reasons for issuing updated banknotes is the fight against counterfeiters. According to official information, in January-June last year alone, 317 thousand counterfeit banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in Europe.