Anyone who gets 100 or 200 euro notes should not be surprised if those notes are narrower than before. Smaller denominations of smaller size are available from Tuesday. The new note also has new security features introduced. Thanks to the adjustments, the 50, 100 and 200 euro banknotes are now equally wide and can be sorted and processed more easily by machines. They also fit better in the wallet or wallet and, according to the European Central Bank (ECB), therefore last longer, as they wear less quickly. The redesigned green and golden notes have a special emerald green number and a hologram with small euro signs. The mythological figure of Europe is incorporated in the banknotes as a watermark. Her image is inspired by a vase from Greek antiquity, which is now in the Louvre. Old banknotes will continue to exist alongside the new ones for the time being, but will gradually be phased out. The date on which those notes are no longer valid as means of payment is announced well in advance by the ECB. The old banknotes never lose their value, because you can exchange them indefinitely at national central banks.
