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ECB opens euro bank note redesign, adding culture and wildlife themes
The ECB’s first full redesign since 2002 follows a survey in which more than 6 million people voted within a week, and it will weigh feedback plus a second quantitative survey and a designer jury through the end of 2026.
The European Central Bank has unveiled 10 proposals for the first full redesign of euro bank notes since the currency’s paper money entered circulation in 2002, giving voters a choice between themes focused on European cultural figures or wildlife and waterways. According to the Guardian Business, the proposals were introduced by ECB chair Christine Lagarde and would apply across the €5, €10, €20, €50, €100 and €200 notes, with five concepts built around culture and five around birds and landscapes.
The culture-themed options feature figures and public scenes of artistic and intellectual activity, including Maria Callas, Ludwig van Beethoven, Marie Curie, Miguel de Cervantes, Leonardo da Vinci, and Bertha von Suttner. The wildlife set highlights specific birds such as the wallcreeper, kingfisher, bee-eater, white stork, avocet, and northern gannet, shown over landscapes typical of Europe.
The ECB launched a survey on its website and says it garnered more than 6 million votes within the first week, with the survey set to close on September 21. A spokesperson said the final selection, expected at the end of 2026, will be shaped by the survey results but also by a second quantitative survey and the decision of a jury of designers, and the ECB does not expect a combined version of the two themes.