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The Euro became the official currency of 12 European countries on January
1st, 2002 -- travellers to Austria, Belgium, Finland,
France, Germany,
Greece, Holland,
Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Portugal
and Spain take note!
With open borders between these countries, it
does make sense for travellers to have the same currency in their pockets when travelling
within the Euro-zone. For residents though, the new year brought some confusion and
nostalgia for their old currency.
Bars in Milan were still giving change in Lira
(they didn't have enough Euros) and some Germans tried to pay with Euro notes and German
small change -- not the way to do it.
The Euro banknotes are identical, regardless
of the country they're issued in, and come in denominations of 5 EUR,
10 EUR, 20 EUR, 50
EUR, 100 EUR, 200 EUR and 500 EUR.
The notes differ in size and colour and depict
different architectural styles. There are also many added security features to try and
reduce the chance of forged notes flooding the market, before people even get a chance to
feel the new notes in their hands.
The designs are symbolic for Europe's
architectural heritage, although they don't represent any real monuments -- which reside
in individual coutries and would have been a niggling point between the member states.
Windows and gateways decorate the front of the
banknotes (as symbols of the spirit of openness and cooperation in the European Union)
while a bridge from a particular age is the design on the back -- a metaphor for
communication among the people of Europe and between Europe and the rest of the world.
There are 8 euro coins
denominated in 2 and 1 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Every euro coin carries a common European
face. On the reverse, each Member State has decorated the coins with their own motifs. No
matter which motif is on the coins they can be used anywhere inside the 12 Member States.
For example, a French citizen will be able to buy a Bratwurst in Berlin using a euro coin
carrying the imprint of the King of Spain.
 The common European face of the coins represents a map of the
European Union against a background of transverse lines to which are attached the stars of
the European flag.
The 1,2 and 5 cent coins put emphasis on
Europe's place in the world while the 10, 20 and 50 present the Union as a gathering of
nations. The 1 and 2 euro coins depict Europe without frontiers.
| The Old Currencies
-- 1 Euro is equal to |
0.787564 Irish punts
1.95583 German marks
2.20371 Dutch guilders
5.94573 Finnish markka
6.55957 French francs
13.7603 Austrian schillings
40.3399 Belgian and Luxembourg francs
166.386 Spanish pesetas
200.482 Portuguese escudos
340.750 Greek drachmas
1936.27 Italian lira
View The New Euro
Banknotes:
| 5 EUR
| 10 EUR | 20 EUR
| 50 EUR | 100
EUR | 200 EUR | 500 EUR |
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