Euro banknotes
Euro banknotes are unlimited legal tender within the territory of all countries that have adopted the euro. Outside the euro area, the euro is not mandatory legal tender.
In turn, the discharging power of euro banknotes is unlimited, i.e. any debt, whatever the amount, can be paid with any number of banknotes of any denomination.
The designs of euro banknotes were selected in a competition held across the European Union.
In 1998 the Governing Council of the ECB approved the final designs. The winner designs were produced by Mr. Robert Kalina.
Robert Kalina
Winner of the euro banknote design competition
The winner designs were inspired by the theme “Ages and styles of Europe” and depict the architectural styles of seven periods in Europe’s cultural history. The architectural elements, namely windows, gateways and bridges, were created by the designer and do not depict actual buildings or monuments, so that no country is preferred over another.
| Denomination |
Architectural style depicted |
| 5 |
Classical |
| 10 |
Romanesque |
| 20 |
Gothic |
| 50 |
Renaissance |
| 100 |
Baroque and rococo |
| 200 |
Iron and glass architecture |
| 500 |
Modern 20th century architecture |
The seven euro banknote denominations are the same across all euro area countries:
5 euro banknote
Size: 120 x 62 mm | Colour: Grey | Architectural period: Classical
10 euro banknote
Size: 127 x 67 mm | Colour: Red | Architectural period: Romanesque
20 euro banknote
Size: 133 x 72 mm | Colour: Blue | Architectural period: Gothic
50 euro banknote
Size: 140 x 77 mm | Colour: Orange | Architectural period: Renaissance
100 euro banknote
Size: 147 x 82 mm | Colour: Green | Architectural period: Baroque and rococo
200 euro banknote
Size: 153 x 82 mm | Colour: Yellow-brown | Architectural period: Iron and glass architecture
500 euro banknote
Size: 160 x 82 mm | Colour: Purple | Architectural period: Modern 20th century architecture