200 euro note
The two hundred euro note (€200) is the second-highest value euro banknote (and the highest value banknote in production) and has been used since the introduction of the euro (in its cash form) in 2002.[7] The note is used in the 23 countries which have the euro as their sole currency (with 22 legally adopting it); with a population of about 343 million.[8] In June 2020, there were about 562,000,000 €200 banknotes in circulation around the eurozone. It is the second least widely circulated denomination, accounting for 2.2% of the total banknotes.[9]
(European Union[1]) | |
---|---|
Value | 200 euro |
Width | 153[2] mm |
Height | 82 (1st series) 77 (Europa series)[2] mm |
Security features | Hologram patch with perforations, EURion constellation, watermarks, microprinting, ultraviolet ink, raised printing, security thread, matted surface, see through number, colour-changing ink, barcodes and serial number[3] |
Material used | Cotton fibre[3] |
Years of printing | 1999–2018 (1st series)[4] Since 2018 (Europa series)[4] |
Obverse | |
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Design | Window in an Art Nouveau style[5] |
Designer | Robert Kalina[6] |
Design date | 17 September 2018[6] |
Reverse | |
![]() | |
Design | Bridge in an Art Nouveau style and map of Europe[5] |
Designer | Robert Kalina[6] |
Design date | 17 September 2018[6] |
It is the second-largest note, measuring 153 × 82 mm, and has a yellow colour scheme.[5] The two hundred euro banknotes depict bridges and arches/doorways in Art Nouveau style (19th and 20th centuries). The €200 note contains several complex security features such as watermarks, invisible ink, holograms and microprinting that document its authenticity.
The new banknotes of the Europa series 200 euro banknote was released on 28 May 2019.[10]
History
![](../I/EUR_200_obverse_(2002_issue).jpg.webp)
![](../I/EUR_200_reverse_(2002_issue).jpg.webp)
The euro was founded on 1 January 1999, when it became the currency of over 300 million people in Europe.[4] For the first three years of its existence it was an invisible currency, only used in accountancy. Euro cash was not introduced until 1 January 2002, when it replaced the national banknotes and coins of the countries in eurozone 12, such as the Finnish markka.[4]
Slovenia joined the Eurozone in 2007,[11] Cyprus and Malta in 2008,[12] Slovakia in 2009,[13] Estonia in 2011,[14] Latvia joined on 1 January 2014 and Lithuania joined on 1 January 2015.[15]
The changeover period
The changeover period during which the former currencies' notes and coins were exchanged for those of the euro lasted about two months, from 1 January 2002 until 28 February 2002. The official date on which the national currencies ceased to be legal tender varied from member state to member state.[4] The earliest date was in Germany, where the mark officially ceased to be legal tender on 31 December 2001, though the exchange period lasted for two months after that. Even after the old currencies ceased to be legal tender, they continued to be accepted by national central banks for ten years or more.[4][16]
Changes
Notes printed before November 2003 bear the signature of the first president of the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, who was replaced on 1 November 2003 by Jean-Claude Trichet, whose signature appears on issues from November 2003 to March 2012. Notes issued after March 2012 bear the signature of the third president of the European Central Bank, incumbent Mario Draghi.[5]
Until now there has been only one series of euro notes; however a new series, similar to the current one, is planned to be released.[17] The European Central Bank will in due course announce when banknotes of the first series lose legal tender status.[17]
As of June 2012, current issues do not reflect the expansion of the European Union: Cyprus is not depicted on current notes, as the map does not extend far enough east; and Malta is also missing as it does not meet the current series' minimum size for depiction.[18] The European Central Bank plans to redesign the notes every seven or eight years, and a second series of banknotes is already in preparation. New production and anti-counterfeiting techniques will be employed on the new notes, but the design will be of the same theme and colours identical to the current series: bridges and arches. However, they will still be recognisable as a new series.[19]
Design
![](../I/Hologram_200euro.jpg.webp)
![](../I/200euro-uv.JPG.webp)
![](../I/200euro-uv2.JPG.webp)
The €200 note measures 153 millimetres (6.0 in) × 82 millimetres (3.2 in) and has a yellow colour scheme.[5] All euro banknotes depict bridges and arches/doorways, each in a different historical European style: the €200 note shows the Art Nouveau era (19th and 20th centuries).[2] Although Robert Kalina's original designs were intended to show real monuments, for political reasons the bridge and art are merely hypothetical examples of the architectural era.[20]
Like all euro notes, it contains the denomination, the EU flag, the signature of the president of the ECB and the initials of that bank in different EU languages, a depiction of EU territories overseas, the stars from the EU flag and twelve security features as listed below.[5]
Security features (first series)
The €200 note is protected by:
- Colour changing ink[2] used on the numeral located on the back of the note, that appears to change colour from purple to brown when the note is tilted.[21]
- A see-through number[2] printed at the top corner of the note, on both sides, appears to combine perfectly to form the value numeral when held against the light.[22]
- A glossy stripe,[2] at the back of the note, showing the value numeral and the euro symbol.[2]
- A hologram:[2] the hologram image changes between the value and a window or doorway, but in the background, rainbow-coloured concentric circles of micro-letters appear, moving from the centre to the edges of the patch.[21]
- A EURion constellation:[2] this is a pattern of symbols found on a number of banknote designs worldwide since about 1996. It is added to help software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image.[2]
- Watermarks,[2] which appear when held up to the light.[2]
- Raised printing:[2] in the main image, the lettering and the value numerals on the front of the banknotes will be raised.[23]
- Ultraviolet ink;[2] the paper itself does not glow, fibres embedded in the paper appear, and are coloured red, blue and green: the EU flag is green and has orange stars, the ECB President's, currently Mario Draghi's, signature turns green, the large stars and small circles on the front glow and the European map, a bridge and the value numeral on the back appear in yellow.[24]
- Microprinting:[2] on various areas of the banknotes there is microprinting, for example, inside the "ΕΥΡΩ" (EURO in Greek characters) on the front. The micro-text is sharp, not blurred.[24]
- A security thread,[2] embedded in the banknote paper. The thread will appear as a dark stripe when held up to the light. The word "EURO" and the value is embedded in tiny letters on the thread.[22]
- Perforations[2] in the hologram which will form the euro symbol. There are also small numbers showing the value.[22]
- A matted surface;[2] the note paper is made out of pure cotton, which feels crisp and firm, not limp or waxy.[23]
- Barcodes,[2]
- A serial number.[2]
Circulation
The European Central Bank is closely monitoring the circulation and stock of the euro coins and banknotes. It is a task of the Eurosystem to ensure an efficient and smooth supply of euro notes and to maintain their integrity throughout the euro area.[27]
In May 2019, there were 284,310,394 €200 banknotes in circulation around the euro area[27] for €56,862,078,800.
This is a net number, i.e. the number of banknotes issued by the Eurosystem central banks, without further distinction as to who is holding the currency issued, thus also including the stocks held by credit institutions.
Besides the date of the introduction of the first set to January 2002, the publication of figures is more significant through the maximum number of banknotes raised each year. The number is higher the end of the year, except for this note in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2015.
The figures are as follows:
Date | Banknotes | € Value | Date | Banknotes | € Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 2002 | 75,421,757 | 15,084,351,400 | July 2010 | 181,858,874 | 36,371,774,800 |
December 2002 | 120,848,425 | 24,169,685,000 | December 2011 | 181,310,811 | 36,262,162,200 |
December 2003 | 135,427,641 | 27,085,528,200 | July 2012 | 186,993,311 | 37,398,662,200 |
December 2004 | 143,140,953 | 28,628,190,600 | December 2013 | 198,885,476 | 39,777,095,200 |
December 2005 | 148,773,663 | 29,754,732,600 | December 2014 | 203,899,589 | 40,779,917,800 |
December 2006 | 152,824,231 | 30,564,846,200 | July 2015 | 207,347,096 | 41,469,419,200 |
December 2007 | 155,685,857 | 31,137,171,400 | December 2016 | 233,613,819 | 46,722,763,800 |
November 2008 | 171,129,645 | 34,225,929,000 | December 2017 | 246,699,262 | 49,339,852,400 |
December 2009 | 178,236,652 | 35,647,330,400 | December 2018 | 255,696,896 | 51,139,379,200 |
On 28 May 2019, a new 'Europe' series was issued.
The first series of notes were issued in conjunction with those for a few weeks in the series 'Europe' until existing stocks are exhausted, then gradually withdrawn from circulation. Both series thus run parallel but the proportion tends inevitably to a sharp decrease in the first series.
Date | Banknotes | € Value | Series '1' remainder | € Value | Proportion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 2019 | 412,700,600 | 82,540,120,000 | 259,859,053 | 51,971,810,600 | 63.0% |
The latest figures provided by the ECB are the following :
Date | Banknotes | € Value | Series '1' remainder | € Value | Proportion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 2020 | 570,985,433 | 114,197,086,600 | 258,110,339 | 51,622,067,800 | 45.2% |
Legal information
Legally, both the European Central Bank and the central banks of the eurozone countries have the right to issue the seven different euro banknotes. In practice, only the national central banks of the zone physically issue and withdraw euro banknotes. The European Central Bank does not have a cash office and is not involved in any cash operations.[4]
Tracking
There are several communities of people in Europe, in particular EuroBillTracker,[28] who, as a hobby, track the euro banknotes that pass through their hands, recording where they travel.[28] The aim is to record as many notes as possible to know details about their spread, i.e. where the notes travel, and generate statistics and rankings: for example, in which countries there are more tickets.[28] EuroBillTracker has registered over 180 million notes as of September 2018,[29] worth more than €3.317 billion.[29]
References
- Institutions and the members of the Eurozone
- "ECB: Security Features". ECB. ECB. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- "ECB: Security Features". European Central Bank. ecb.int. 2002. Archived from the original on 2012-08-16. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- "ECB: Introduction". ECB. ECB. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- "ECB: Banknotes". European Central Bank. European Central Bank. 2002. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- "ECB: Banknotes design". ECB. ECB. February 1996. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- "Witnessing a milestone in European history". The Herald. Back Issue. 1 January 2002. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
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- "Andorran Euro Coins". Eurocoins.co.uk. Eurocoins.co.uk. 2003. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- "By UNMIK administration direction 1999/2". Unmikonline.org. 4 October 1999. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- "By monetary agreement between France (acting for the EC) and Monaco". 31 May 2002. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- "By monetary agreement between Italy (acting for the EC) and San Marino". 27 July 2001. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- "By monetary agreement between Italy (acting for the EC) and Vatican City". 25 October 2001. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- "ECB: Map of euro area 1999 – 2011". ECB. ecb.int. 1 January 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
- "Total population as of 1 January". Epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu. 2011-03-11. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
- "ECB Statistical Data Warehouse,Reports>ECB/Eurosystem policy>Banknotes and coins statistics>1.Euro banknotes>1.1 Quantities". ECB. European Central Bank.
- ECB unveils new €100 and €200 banknotes
- "Slovenia joins the euro area - European Commission". European Commission. 16 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- "Cyprus and Malta adopt the euro - BBC NEWS". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1 January 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- Kubosova, Lucia (31 December 2008). "Slovakia Joins Decade-Old Euro Zone - Businessweek". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- "Estonia to join euro zone in 2011". RTÉ News. Radió Teilifís Éireann. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- Van Tartwijk, Maarten; Kaza, Juris (9 July 2013). "Latvia Gets Green Light to Join Euro Zone -WSJ.com". Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- "Press kit - tenth anniversary of the euro banknotes and coins" (PDF). ECB. Central Bank of Ireland. 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- "ECB Monthly bulletin- August 2005 - THE EURO BANKNOTES: DEVELOPMENTS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES" (PDF). ECB. ecb.int. August 2005. p. 43. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- European Central Bank. "The Euro: Banknotes: Design elements". Retrieved 2009-07-05.
The banknotes show a geographical representation of Europe. It excludes islands of less than 400 square kilometres because high-volume offset printing does not permit the accurate reproduction of small design elements.
- The life cycle of a banknote Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, De Nederlandsche Bank. Accessed 2007-08-17.
- "Money talks – the new Euro cash". BBC News. BBC News. December 1996. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- "ECB:Tilt". ECB. ecb.int. 1 January 2002. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- "ECB: Look". ECB. ecb.int. 1 January 2002. Archived from the original on 2011-10-23. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- "ECB: Feel". ECB. ecb.int. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-10-21. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- "ECB: Additional features". ECB. ecb.int. 1 January 2002. Archived from the original on 2011-10-23. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- "New euro banknotes make use of high technology". Bank of Finland. 27 May 2019.
- "The €uro > Banknotes > Denominations".
- "ECB: Circulation". ECB. European Central Bank.
- "EuroBillTracker - About this site". Philippe Girolami, Anssi Johansson, Marko Schilde. EuroBillTracker. 1 January 2002. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- "EuroBillTracker - Statistics". Philippe Girolami, Anssi Johansson, Marko Schilde. EuroBillTracker. 1 January 2002. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
External links
Media related to 200 euro banknotes at Wikimedia Commons