A new €50 bank note, with enhanced security characteristics and featuring a portrait watermark of the Greek figure Europa, went into circulation across all Euro Zone countries yesterday.
It is claimed that the new €50 bill will offer better protection against counterfeiters and can easily be checked by persons using the ‘look, feel and tilt’ method. For example; (a) There is a portrait window that when held against the light, the hologram itself becomes transparent. (b) To assist those visually impaired there is raised print and raised lines along the side of the note. (c) While on the main image, the lettering and the large value numeral feel thicker, the colour of the number 50 changes when tilted; changing from emerald green to deep blue.
The design of these new bank notes are similar to notes already introduced in recent years in the €5, €10 and €20 ranges.
The Central bank states that the new currency also offers second-level security for use by professional cash handlers, as well as special security features that the Central Bank itself alone can recognise.
Last year some 307,000 x €50 notes were identified as being counterfeit.
While the new note will circulate alongside existing €50 notes; the Central Bank expect to have some 50% of all old notes removed from circulation within the next 12 months.
Leave a Reply