Euro banknotes

The conceptual phase of the creation of the euro banknotes began in February 1996, when the European Monetary Institute (EMI), the forerunner of the ECB, launched a design competition. A total of 44 design proposals were submitted, and in September 1996 a jury of independent experts in marketing, advertising, design and art judged the designs. The jury drew up two shortlists: one of five design series on the "Ages and styles of Europe" theme and another of five design series on a "Modern/abstract" theme.

A European market and opinion research organisation was then commissioned to carry out a survey of public acceptance of the shortlisted designs. Around 2,000 individuals participated throughout Europe. Taking account of the advice given by the jury and the results of the public consultation, the EMI Council selected, in December 1996, the series submitted by Robert Kalina, a banknote designer at the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. His design was inspired by the theme "Ages and styles of Europe" and depicted the architectural styles of seven periods in Europe's cultural history. These styles are shown on the seven euro banknotes:

Classical for the €5
Romanesque for the €10
Gothic for the €20
Renaissance for the €50
Baroque and rococo for the €100
Iron and glass architecture for the €200
Modern 20th century architecture for the €500

Euro banknote designs

On the front of the banknotes, windows and doorways symbolise the European spirit of openness and cooperation. The 12 stars of the European Union represent the dynamism and harmony of the European nations. To complement these designs, the reverse of each banknote features a bridge. The bridges symbolise the close cooperation and communication between Europe and the rest of the world. The images are based on the typical architectural style of each period, rather than on specific structures. These designs, and the following features, are presented in more detail in the euro banknote pictures opposite:

the name of the currency - euro - in both the Latin and the Greek alphabets
the initials of the European Central Bank in five linguistic variants - BCE, ECB, EZB, EKT and EKP - covering the then 11 official languages of the European Union
the signature of the President of the European Central Bank
the flag of the European Union

European banknotes

Introduction - the designs selected for the european banknotes
Organization of production - the management and recycling of banknotes
Banknote production - from cotton fields to legal tender
Security features - how can you tell if they are genuine?
RFID chips in banknotes - embeding radio frequency identification tags into fibers