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Tomorrow the new banknote will be issued
2015 11 24 Bank of Lithuania news
With the issue of the new 20 euro banknote, the old banknotes of the same denomination will remain in use
Tomorrow, 25 November, in Lithuania and 18 other euro area countries, the new 20 euro banknote will be issued into circulation. It will use innovative banknote technology — a window with a portrait in the hologram.
'With the issue of the new banknote, the old one, i.e. the current 20 euro banknote, will not cease to be legal tender, and both banknotes will be in circulation. Therefore, residents will not have to perform any banknote exchange operations. The new banknotes will reach the pockets of the people via conventional methods — from ATMs, banks, or simply at shops as change', – said Ingrida Šimonytė, Deputy Chair of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, who participated in the presentation of the new banknote at the Bank of Lithuania. She also underlined that people offering to exchange banknotes on the streets or at home should not be trusted.
The 20 euro banknote is the third banknote from the new series 'Europa'. The new 5 euro banknote was issued into circulation in May 2013, while the new 10 euro banknote — in September 2014. The series was called 'Europa' because the security features of these banknotes use the portrait of the mythological princess Europa, whose name is the origin of the name of our continent as well.
'The issuance of new banknotes is a common practice of central banks. It is necessary to constantly update and improve the security features of banknotes, so that it would be even more difficult to counterfeit them. The new series euro banknotes are more durable, they won't have to be exchanged as often,' said Mindaugas Vilkelis, Director of the Cash Service of the Bank of Lithuania.
In terms of the Bank of Lithuania's net national issue, the 20 euro banknote is the second most popular banknote in our country (the most popular one is the 50 euro),.
The new 20 euro banknote is exceptional in the sense that for the first time the 'Europa' series banknotes use a window with a portrait in the hologram for security purposes. When the banknote is held up to the light, the window becomes transparent and a portrait of Europe becomes visible both on its obverse and reverse. When the banknote is tilted, rainbow-coloured lines are visible in the window with the portrait — they surround the banknote's value numeral. When looking at the back of the banknote one can see the banknote's value numerals in rainbow colours.
Photo by V. Skaraitis (BFL)
The new 20 euro banknote also has a different watermark: looking at the banknote in front of a light, the portrait of Europa becomes visible (compared to the arch that can be seen on the current banknotes). It is important to note the emerald colour of the value numeral. When tilting the banknote, the top or bottom part of the number glitters. The number's colour changes from bright green to a rich blue.
The euro banknote series 'Europa' is even more adapted to the needs of people who are visually impaired. Along the right and left edges of the new 20 euro banknote, an irregularity of the printed surface can be felt. The value numeral is large, bold, the numbers are in raised print making them easy to feel. The dominant colour of the new banknote remains blue, but it is more vibrant.
The European Central Bank (ECB) presented to the public the new 20 euro banknote on 24 February. The Eurosystem provided enough time for banknote equipment manufacturers and users to test and adapt their manufacturing equipment to the new series banknotes. The Bank of Lithuania made sure that cash handlers in our country, large retail centres, petrol station networks, banknote equipment distributors, and automobile parking companies could ahead of time test their equipment, prepare it for smooth operation.
In spring, a presentation of the new banknote was organised for cash handlers; for this purpose, 28 thousand publications were distributed to them. In addition, in October, the ECB distributed to small businesses and shops 12 thousand brochures on the new banknote, along with a holographic card. A public information campaign is also taking place. Various organisations and business people approved the socially responsible approach and are contributing to the campaign: brochures are distributed (more than 600 thousand), an informative video is broadcasted, etc.
The Bank of Lithuania thanks everyone who contributed to the dissemination of information on the new 20 euro banknote. Particular thanks to: the national broadcaster LRT, AB Lithuania Post, the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, the retail networks MAXIMA LT, UAB,UABNorfos mažmena, UAB PALINK, UAB PRISMA LT, UAB RIMI Lietuva, the alliance AIBĖ, the Lithuanian Union of Co-operative Societies, Business Park Gariūnai, UAB Reitan Convenience Lithuania (Narvesen), the banks AB Citadele, Danske Bank A/S Lithuanian branch, AB DNB,UAB Medicinos bankas, Nordea BankAB Lithuanian branches, AB SEB, Swedbank, AB, Šiaulių bankas, Lithuanian Central Credit Union, Vilnius Region Credit Union, UAB Statoil Fuel & Retail Lietuva, UAB Baltic Trading Company (Grabmedia), banknote equipment distributors UABASPA,UABBANKSERVIS, UABHANSAB.
For more information and illustrations of the new 20 euro banknote, visit the Bank of Lithuania website.