Credit institutions put euro banknotes into circulation primarily via their ATMs. Particularly in the case of high-value denominations, e.g. €200 banknotes, withdrawals are also made over the counter.

The two euro banknote series were inspired by the theme of “the ages and styles of Europe”. Windows and gateways form the main elements on the obverse side of the banknotes, while bridges are the main feature on the reverse. These images do not, however, depict real buildings, but represent stylised architectural examples from the chosen epoch.

The bridges on the banknotes represent various periods and architectural styles of European cultural history:

• €5 banknote: Classical
• €10 banknote: Romanesque
• €20 banknote: Gothic
• €50 banknote: Renaissance
• €100 banknote: Baroque and rococo
• €200 banknote: Iron and glass architecture of the 19th century
• €500 banknote: 20th century architecture

The banknotes of the first series were designed by Austrian artist Robert Kalina. Reinhold Gerstetter, an independent banknote designer from Berlin, was commissioned to rework the design for the Europa series.

The leitmotif was also retained in the second series of banknotes, although the design was changed slightly to better accommodate new security features and to allow for easier distinction between the two series.

In addition to the names of the currency in the Latin (EURO) and Greek (EYPΩ) alphabets, the Cyrillic designation (EBPO) has been included in the second series of banknotes, because all three scripts are used in the European Union. In this regard, it is irrelevant whether the European country whose script is printed on the banknotes has actually adopted the euro as its national currency (the Cyrillic script for Bulgaria, for example). In addition, the number of linguistic variants of the ECB’s initials was expanded from five to nine (denominations from €5 to €20) and then to ten variants following Croatia’s accession to the EU (denominations of €50 and above).

The following islands and overseas departments appear low down on the reverse of the euro banknotes: Azores, the Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique and Réunion.

The European Blind Union has been involved since the start of the concept phase for euro banknotes (1995), as a good design for blind and visually impaired people benefits everyone. The banknotes are very user-friendly overall.

Each of the seven denominations has a different size. This makes it easy for blind and partially sighted people to recognise banknotes. The increased use of intaglio printing means that some elements of the banknote design appear embossed. For example, the large numbers (i.e. the banknote denomination) on the obverse side are raised slightly above the surface and can be identified by touch. Using the same printing technique, different patterns of raised lines specific to each denomination are applied on the left and right edges. 

The following features of the various banknotes also aid visually impaired people:

• Each banknote has its own predominant colour (for example, blue in the case of the €20 banknote).
• Strongly contrasting colours have been chosen to distinguish between the successive denominations (for example, the €10 banknote is red while the €20 note is blue).
• The values of the banknotes are shown in large, highly legible figures.

For reasons of efficiency, the ECB assigns the printing and production of euro banknotes to various different national central banks (NCBs). The volume produced or procured by the individual NCBs is determined by their share in the ECB’s capital. The banknote printing works accredited by the ECB to print euro banknotes located in Germany are the Bundesdruckerei GmbH in Berlin and Giesecke & Devrient in Leipzig. At present, twelve high-security banknote printing works across Europe are accredited by the ECB for the production of euro banknotes.

The serial numbers on the second series are the two numbers printed on the back of the banknote: a horizontal number printed in black and a vertical number printed in a different colour. The horizontal number comprises two letters and ten digits. The first letter identifies the printing works. The second letter has no particular meaning; it simply makes more serial numbers possible.

By contrast, the euro banknotes of the first series bear a letter or country code to indicate which central bank commissioned the printing of the banknotes.

No. Issuing banknotes with specific numbers, for example for collectors' purposes, is not possible for organisational reasons.

The initial supply of euro banknotes was printed in various countries. See the precise locations in the following table.

Banknote production costs depend on various factors, e.g. the size of the banknote, the integrated security features, and the production volume. It costs an average of around 10 cents to produce an euro banknote.

The life cycle of a banknote usually depends on its utilisation. The more frequently for transactions used denominations up to €50 circulate on average four years. Banknotes with larger denominations more likely to be used as savings can sometimes have a much longer lifespan of more than ten years. Generally speaking, the higher the denomination, the longer the banknote remains in circulation.

According to European law, euro banknotes are the only banknotes which have the unrestricted status of legal tender in all participating member states of the Eurosystem. 

Therefore, by virtue of public law, everyone is required to accept payments in euro banknotes as proper fulfilment of a financial obligation to avoid legal detriment. However, under German civil law, the principle of freedom of contract applies. The parties to a transaction can freely agree on or rule out a certain method of fulfilment. In this respect, the principle of freedom of contract supersedes the above-mentioned provisions in public law. Nonetheless, such restrictions on payment methods require to be agreed on before a contract is concluded, e.g. by announcement via a printed notice at the point of sale. 

• The Eurosystem conducts regular research into the potential impact of the production and circulation of euro banknotes on public health, including in relation to viruses.
• As on any other surface (e.g. door handles, hand rails, payment terminals), a virus, for example during the influenza season, could deposit on a banknote via respiratory droplets of an infected person and survive for a limited period.
• The probability of contagion with a virus via a banknote is very low in comparison with other surfaces. People make on average 1.2 cash payments per day in the euro area, so it is more likely that they get infected by other objects which they touch more frequently.
• Germany’s Robert Koch Institute confirmed that “virus transmission through banknotes has no particular significance”.
• The basic protective measures against the coronavirus should be applied as recommended by the World Health Organisation, including washing your hands frequently.

The “feel, look and tilt” test to verify the authenticity of banknotes should be used:

• • FEEL: Raised print, e.g. on the edges, as well as on the large denomination number (ES2)
  • LOOK: Portrait window (ES2), watermark and security thread are visible security features
  • TILT: The portrait window, portrait hologram and the emerald number (all ES2) change visibly when the banknote is tilte

It will still be possible to use this method to recognise counterfeit euro banknotes in the future.

You will find information on how to deal with counterfeit money in the “Counterfeit money” section on our website. Here you will also find a “Guide to recognising counterfeit money”.

The euro banknotes of the second series (Europa series) incorporate new advances in the area of banknote technology. The new security features offer better protection against counterfeiting and make the banknotes even more secure. This makes the work of counterfeiters more difficult. 

Credit institutions, professional cash handlers and the general public must be able to identify counterfeits. By doing so, they help to support the Eurosystem’s strategy on counterfeit prevention. Furthermore, the new series is intended to improve the durability of the banknotes, as smaller denominations are subject to particularly heavy wear and tear.

Reinhold Gerstetter, an independent banknote designer in Berlin, was selected to refresh the design.

The banknotes were first issued on the following dates:

€5: 2 May 2013

€10: 23 September 2014

€20: 25 November 2015

€50: 4 April 2017

€100/€200: 28 May 2019

The measurements of the €5, €10, €20 and €50 banknotes from the new series have remained the same. The length of the €100 and €200 banknotes in the Europa series is unchanged. Compared with the €100 and €200 banknotes from the first series, the height has been reduced from 82 mm to 77 mm, with the goal of improved handling of banknotes, for example when putting them in a wallet.

Organisations representing people with impaired vision were also involved in the development of the new series. The raised print on the edges of the banknotes allows blind and partially sighted people to distinguish between the individual denominations.

Generalised information about the durability of the Europa series banknotes cannot be provided, as there are differences between the individual denominations. However, the experiences gained in 2013 and 2014 suggest that the durability of the previously issued denominations of the Europa series (ES2 €5 and ES2 €10) has been improved significantly through the new coating applied to banknotes. This has resulted in a considerable reduction in both environmental impact and costs for the Eurosystem. Due to these positive effects, coated €20 banknotes will also be introduced into circulation in the Eurosystem from the second half of 2020.