The European Central Bank

The ECB

The ECB is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro. The ECB’s main task is to maintain the euro's purchasing power and thus price stability in the euro area. The euro area comprises the 15 European Union countries that have introduced the euro since 1999.

Banknotes

The euro banknote series comprises seven different values (denominations): €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. They are legal tender throughout the euro area.

Size: 120 x 62 mm
Colour: Grey
Architectural period:

Classical

Size: 127 x 67 mm
Colour: Red
Architectural period:

Romanesque

Size: 133 x 72 mm
Colour: Blue
Architectural period:

Gothic

Size: 140 x 77 mm
Colour: Orange
Architectural period:

Renaissance

Size: 147 x 82 mm
Colour: Green
Architectural period:

Baroque and rococo

Size: 153 x 82 mm
Colour: Yellow-brown
Architectural period:

The age of iron and glass

Size: 160 x 82 mm
Colour: Purple
Architectural period:

Modern 20th century architecture

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On the front, the banknotes show windows and gateways. They symbolise the European spirit of openness and cooperation. The 12 stars of the European Union (EU) represent the dynamism and harmony of contemporary Europe.
The bridges on the back symbolise communication between the people of Europe and between Europe and the rest of the world.

The other design elements are:

• the name of the currency - euro - in both the Latin (EURO) and the Greek (EYPΩ) alphabets;
• the initials of the European Central Bank in five linguistic variants - BCE, ECB, EZB, EKT and EKP - covering the then 11 EU official languages;
• the symbol © indicating copyright protection; and
• the EU flag.