Future euro banknote design proposals
New design proposals for future euro banknotes are drawing mixed reactions, with many favoring bird-and-river motifs over portraits of historical figures or depictions of EU office buildings. Commenters highlight how choosing specific people or national landmarks is politically fraught in a multi-country currency, arguing that abstract or nature-based themes better represent the union and avoid future controversies. Others focus on practical aspects such as anti-counterfeiting updates, note durability, and layout choices like vertical orientation, while noting that the official ECB survey may not capture nuanced preferences between competing designs.
Navigation and viewing of designs
- Some prefer the “all proposals on one page” ECB link for easier comparison.
- Others note that version has tiny images and less explanatory text; suggested workaround is browser zoom.
- Per-note pages better show denomination size differences.
Design preferences and aesthetics
- Many find only a subset “banknote-like,” often citing B, E, H, and sometimes F; A, C, G, I, J draw more criticism.
- Common complaints: colors too vibrant, layouts too busy, backsides resembling generic corporate vector art or “Corporate Memphis.”
- Some feel only H or E look plausibly like real money; others see F as the most visually interesting but perhaps impractical.
- Several people still prefer the original euro series with stylized architecture as more timeless and legible as money.
Birds vs people vs buildings
- Strong contingent favors birds and rivers: neutral, non-national, less controversial, and reminiscent of successful past notes (e.g., Dutch bird notes).
- Many dislike human portraits on a shared currency: hard to balance countries/genders, invites national grievances, and risks later reputational issues.
- Some object to silhouettes and to modern EU institutional buildings as bland or even insulting representations of Europe, preferring bridges or historic architecture.
- Others argue institutional buildings are appropriate symbols of the EU project.
Politics and representation
- Motifs (specific people, birds, buildings) were pre-selected by committees to avoid overt controversy.
- Discussion of national “ownership” of historical figures (composers, scientists, writers) illustrates how easily this becomes politicized.
- Several users conclude abstractions, animals, or country-specific designs (as with coins) would avoid endless bickering.
Security, lifecycle, and materials
- Redesign is linked to updating anti-counterfeiting features and exploiting the high replacement rate of notes.
- Some question the need if old designs still work; others say new designs are reason enough.
- Debate over paper/cotton vs polymer notes: euro cotton notes are already washable, but polymer (e.g., Canada) is praised for durability.
Cash culture and survey process
- Some users champion cash for privacy and autonomy; others point out its role in tax evasion and illicit trade.
- Wishes for €1/€2 notes vs preference for higher-value coins to avoid small change.
- ECB public survey exists, but users criticize its “rate individually” format and suggest pairwise comparisons; one built a simple local tool for that.
- Technical access issues (e.g., Cloudflare) frustrate some would-be participants.