The euro notes have been in circulation for almost 15 years - time for a new generation. The updated designs still resemble the first ones, and yet look a little different. The second generation is still "paper" but with a thin lacquer layer (€5/€10). In terms of security features, a portrait window (€20/€50) was added - something that quite a few polymer notes also have. Well, here is one on a paper note ... Christian
The new €5 note was first issued on 2 May 2013. Size: 120 x 62 mm, Theme: Ancient/Classic architecture. The €10 followed on 23 Sep 2014. Size: 127 x 67 mm, Theme: Romanesque architecture.
Last year (25 Nov 2015) the new €20 note arrived. Size: 133 x 72 mm, Theme: Gothic architecture. Today the next denomination was presented to the public: The new €50 note will be issued on 4 Apr 2017. Size: 140 x 77 mm, Theme: Renaissance architecture. After that one, the €100 and €200 notes will get a "refreshed" design (in 2018/19, I think). The €500 note will be phased out anyway, so it won't get a new look. Additional information at http://www.new-euro-banknotes.eu (That is also where these images are from.) Christian
The old and the new notes will circulate side by side for a while. But due to the limited lifespan of (especially low denomination) notes, you see hardly any old fivers here these days, even the first generation €10 notes have become "rare". Robert Kalina created the original notes; the Europa series was/is designed by Reinhold Gerstetter who continued Kalina's works so to say: The basic colors, arches and bridges are the same as on the first series, and yet a little different. Two videos about the new €50 note: "Five Facts" - "Printing" (footage material, no spoken comments) - Christian
The new €50 note is now in circulation. Have not received one yet - well, I would hardly get one in change but once in a while I go to an ATM and get cash. So far, old (first generation) notes only. That will change, I am sure. According to the European Central Bank, this is the most "popular" denomination with regard to production figures: About 45 percent of the euro cash is €50 notes. The second generation notes of the two remaining denominations (€100 and €200) will probably be issued at the same time, in early 2019. I suppose there will be a presentation/unveiling ceremony around the end of this year or early next year. Christian
That presentation was today. And while the new €100 and €200 designs are not exactly surprising (the entire Europa series is basically a more or less subtle modification of the first series), there is an interesting detail ... In the first series, all denominations had different heights and widths. In the Europa series, the three highest ones - €50, €100, €200 - will have the same height. The new dimensions will be: €50 (already in circ.): 140 x 77 mm €100: 147 x 77 mm €200: 153 x 77 mm The latter two will first be issued on 28 May 2019. All older euro notes (including the €500 which is not part of the Europa series) continue to be legal tender. Images from the ECB presentation - the actual notes will be rectangular. Christian
Those "second generation" €100 and €200 were issued today. So that series is now complete. This hologram effect of the two euro symbols that move around the value digits (in the upper right corner of the obverse) looks kind of cool, I think: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/banknotes/denominations/html/index.en.html#es2-100 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/banknotes/denominations/html/index.en.html#es2-200 Christian
Very interesting! The security features are cool on the Euro, but, it always looked a bit boring for me. I read that even the architecture depicted cannot be akin to a building in a specific country. I hope that you find a new version of the 50 soon!
Yes, the arches and bridges on the euro notes (first and second generation) represent architectural styles that Europeans are - or should be - well acquainted with. They do not show this or that particular building however. Then again, that is not entirely true any more. A few years ago, some architects designed and built small bridges in a new city quarter in Spijkenisse (near Rotterdam, NL) that should look like the "euro bridges", hehe. This is the €5 bridge for example: The second generation €50 note I have been using for a while. The new €100 and €200 ... not yet. And while in my opinion phasing the €500 note out in order to limit money laundering does not make much sense, I never use that denomination anyway. Christian
I read recently that the €100 was the most used/printed. https://www.coinworld.com/news/pape...entral-bank-publishes-2018-note-data.all.html
May well be true with regard to the 2018 production figures. However, the €50 and €20 notes are the most common ones, see here: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/banknotes coins/circulation/html/index.en.html But since the €500 is being phased out, it would indeed make sense to have more €100 and €200 notes ... for those who need them. Well, the 100 is something I actually use once in a while. As for that Coin World article, note that a few details in that story apply to the earlier notes only. (The €50 depicted is such a first generation note.) For example, there are no country (or national central bank) identifiers on the second generation notes but more details about the printers. Some of the printing works are listed at the end of the article; so you see that De La Rue and Giesecke & Devrient now have different letters for the different facilities. Oberthur prints in France but also in Bulgaria (not in that list yet) these days. Christian
Are there any others out there that hate the $50 in any language like i do ? Just a very odd ball amount, the teller at the bank tries to give me one Always decline...LOL
Not sure what a $50 in any language would have to do with this but €50 notes are perfectly normal. (Then again, we also have 50 ct, €1 and €2 coins, and use them in everyday life.) Now the €100 and €200 ... some places, particularly gas stations, frown upon them, but at least the 100 is not really "exotic". At least in Germany however the ATMs will usually not have them. So you would have to go to a bank cashier in order to get such notes. Well, it is pretty rare these days that I see a bank from inside ... What I also like is that the 100 and 200 now have the same height. Cannot imagine not having different sizes for different denominations, but they do not have to "grow" horizontally and vertically. Christian
Thanks for the ongoing updates on the Euro notes, Christian. I can imagine the lobbying by wallet-makers, atm machine makers, and cash register makers would favor at least the change to common height, and I'm sure common width if they could convince the powers that be. I always enjoy the different sizes when I'm over there, but can't say that when in the US I have any particular troubles with the notes being all the same size. You say there are no country identifiers on the new series, but I am under the impression that the first letter in the serial number is a country code, e.g. "U" = France. I am no specialist in these notes though - am I mistaken?
As for the sizes, guess it depends on what one is used to. US dollar bills I have always found "difficult" because of the same size issue. But then pretty much every other country I have been to apart from my "domestic" euro area, has different sizes. Not sure how blind and vision impaired people deal with USD "paper", but these days there are even pretty reliable apps that will recognize a denomination and read it aloud ... As for those letters, in the second series (Europa notes) they strictly refer to the printing works where the notes are made. There are indeed a few similarities however, primarily with regard to those central banks that have "in-house" banknote production. In the first series, the "U" preceding the serial number referred to France, which meant that the Banque de France commissioned the production. Now the U refers to the Banque de France printing works. But there is another French printer, Oberthur, which uses the "E". If you look at Germany for example, the X in the first series meant that Deutsche Bundesbank commissioned the production. Now the X means Giesecke & Devrient, Munich (one of two printers and three printing works in Germany), except that G&D recently stopped making notes in Munich. Christian
Not odd at all, see here (and the attached screenshot). But of course you would not be Mr Popular at a store here if you wanted to pay a €1 or €2 item with a €50 (or higher) note ... Christian
