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We previously looked at how to tell if money is counterfeit in our handling cash guide. Since then there has been a new 5, 10, and 20  Euro notes released with additional security features. Other notes such as €50, €100, €200, and €500 have not yet been released. Here’s what we learned about the first three new Euro notes from the ECB:

1. Raised print

As before there is raised print when you feel the bank note. It feels crisp and firm and the main image along with its lettering and the large value numerical feel notably thicker. With the Europa series on the front of the note there is a series of short raised lines on the left and the right edges of all three Euro notes.

2. Portrait watermark

Unlike the older Euro notes the new ones have a portrait watermark. If the note is held against the light then a faint image of Europa (a figure from Greek mythology) will appear. The value of the banknote and a window will also be visible. When put on a dark surface this area will become darker with the portrait appearing in the hologram. Previously on the €10 and €20 notes only the window and value of the banknote were visible.

3. Security thread

Bank notes previously had a security thread which is a dark stripe that can be seen when held up to the light. The value of the note can also be seen in small white lettering when held to the light. While these features are still present, the new feature shows a € symbol in the security thread as opposed to just the word Euro which appeared in the first series.

4. Portrait hologram

When the three bank notes are tilted the silver stripe on the right side of the note reveals its value and the € symbol. A new addition to this is a portrait of Europa appears as well as a window in this area.

5. Emerald number

When the new Euro notes are tilted a shiny number in the bottom left hand corner shows the effect of the light that moves up and down. The number will also change colour from an emerald green colour to a deep blue.

6. Portrait window

This feature is present on the €20 only. When held to the light the window near the top of the hologram becomes transparent and shows a portrait of Europa on both sides of the note. As the note is tilted the window will show rainbow-coloured lines around the value numeral. On the reverse side of the bank note rainbow coloured value numerals are present in the window.

Along with these changes cash rounding has been introduced to Ireland which we explained in a previous post. Higher value Euro notes have yet to be changed but you can learn how to detect if they are counterfeit in our handling cash guide.

Marc O'Dwyer

After completing a Graduate program in Marketing, Marc’s impressive sales career began at Allied Irish Banks, Pitney Bowes and Panasonic where he received numerous Irish and European sales performance awards and consistently exceeded targets and expectations. In 1992, Marc’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to set up his own business, Irish International Sales (IIS). Initially, this company was a reseller for Take 5 Accounts and Payroll software. Within four years, IIS became the largest reseller of Take 5 in Ireland, acquiring four other Take 5 resellers. He also found time to set up two mobile phone shops under the Cellular World brand and a web design company offering website design services for small businesses. In 2001, he bought the majority share in a small Irish software business, Big Red Book. At that time, the company was losing money. The company became profitable within two months, and Marc then acquired a payroll company to compliment Big Red Books Accounting products. In 2003, IIS were appointed as Channel Partners with SAP for their new SME product, SAP Business One. Marc sold his Take 5 business and concentrated on developing this new market for SAP As a result, by 2007, IIS was recognised as the largest Channel Partner for SAP in EMEA (Europe Middle East and Africa). In 2008, the IIS Sales Manager bought the Company from Marc in an MBO. He launched Big red cloud in June 2012, the online version of big red book, to date the company successfully converts 59% of trials into sales and the number of customers is growing rapidly. Marc continues to run both Big Red Book and Big Red Cloud which now support 75,000 businesses. He is a very keen sportsman, having played rugby for 20 years, represented Leinster at under 16 and under 20 levels, and league squash with Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club for 10 years. Marc has competed in 11 Marathons, including the London and Boston Marathons, and has completed several Triathlons and Half Ironman races. He has also completed six Ironman Races in Austria(x2), Frankfurt (Germany), Nice (France) , Mallorca (Spain) and Copenhagen (Denmark)

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