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The euro (EUR or €) is the single currency for many countries within the European Union. The euro was formally established as a unit of exchange on January 1, 1999, and euro banknotes and coins (see Euro coins) entered circulation on January 1, 2002.
1 Denominations
There are seven different denominations, each having a distinctive colour and size. The design for each of them has a common theme of European architecture in various artistic periods. The front (or recto) of the note features windows or gateways while the back (or verso) has bridges. Care has been taken so that the architectural examples do not represent any actual existing monument, so as not to induce jealousy and controversy in the choice of which monument should be depicted.
Common to all notes are the European flag, the initials of the European Central Bank in five versions (BCE, ECB, EZB, ΕΚΤ, EKP), a map of Europe on the back, the name "euro" in both Latin and Greek script and the signature of the current president of the ECB. The 12 stars of the EU are also incorporated into every note, with the first design having been created by Austrian artist Robert Kalina.
2 Banknote pictures
Description of euro banknotes
| Denomination |
Dimensions |
Dominant Colour |
Architecture |
Period |
Printercode position |
| 5 euro | €5 |
120 x 62 mm |
Grey |
ClassicalFrom the point of view of modern times, the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean sometimes seem to blend smoothly into one melange we call the Classical''. This stylistic designation elides the 8 or 10 centuries the period spans and the remarkable c |
< 5th century |
left image edge |
| 10 euro | €10 |
127 x 67 mm |
Red |
RomanesqueHildesheim a World Heritage Site The name Romanesque like many other stylistic designations, was not a term contemporary with the art it describes but an invention of modern scholarship to categorize a period. The term "Romanesque" attempts to link the ar |
11-12th centuries |
8 o'clock star |
| 20 euro | €20 |
133 x 72 mm |
Blue |
GothicGothic architecture characterizes any of the styles of European architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, in use throughout Europe during the high and late medieval period, from the 12th century onwards. It was succeeded by |
13-14th centuries |
9 o'clock star |
| 50 euro | €50 |
140 x 77 mm |
Orange |
RenaissanceRenaissance Architecture The cultural movement called the Renaissance (which literally means re-birth) was just that in architecture, a rebirth of the Roman traditions of design. It was expressed in a new emphasis on rational clarity and regularity of par |
15-16th centuries |
right image edge |
| 100 euro | €100 |
147 x 82 mm |
Green |
BaroquePeter Paul Rubens: dynamic figures spiral down around a void: draperies blow: a whirl of movement lit in a shaft of light, rendered in a free bravura handling of paint The Baroque was a style in art that used exaggerated motion and abundant detail to prod & RococoRococo Furniture Style. The Rococo style developed as a relief from formalities of Late Baroque interiors. It probably received its name among young assistants in the atelier of the neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David, who used the word whimsically t |
17-18th centuries |
right of 9 o'clock star |
| 200 euro | €200 |
153 x 82 mm |
Yellow-brown |
Iron & Glass |
19-20th centuries |
above 7 o'clock star |
| 500 euro | €500 |
160 x 82 mm |
Purple |
ModernModern architecture is the term given to the range of approaches in architecture, first appearing at the beginning of the 20th century, that rejected historic precedent as a source of architectural inspiration and considered function as the prime generato |
20-21st centuries |
9 o'clock star |
Depiction of euro banknotes
| Front (recto, obverse) |
Value |
Back (verso, reverse) |
|
€ 5 |
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€ 10 |
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€ 20 |
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€ 50 |
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€ 100 |
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€ 200 |
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€ 500 |
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The following member overseas territories are shown: the AzoresThe Azores (or Acores in Portuguese) are an archipelago of Portuguese islands situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km from Lisbon and about 3,900 km from the east coast of North America. The nine Azorean Islands extend for more than 6, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique, Réunion, and the Canary Islands. Cyprus and Malta are not shown — they only joined the EU in 2004; also Malta is also too small to be shown, with the minimum size for depiction being 400 square kilometres.
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