Euro banknotes and coins

The Governing Council of the ECB decided not to include a EUR 500 banknote in the second series of euro banknotes, the Europa series. EUR 500 banknotes of the first series continue to be legal tender. They are no longer issued by central banks, but commercial banks can dispense old EUR 500 banknotes while stocks last.

Please note: If you still have EUR 500 banknotes, you can pay with them in shops, deposit them in your bank account or exchange them for banknotes of the Europa series at the OeNB. 

The serial numbers of euro banknotes start with a letter. For the first series of euro banknotes, this letter is a country code. It shows which national central bank of the euro area commissioned the printing of a banknote. The country codes are listed below.

*) New euro banknotes issued by the Croatian National Bank and the Banque centrale du Luxembourg bear the codes of the national central banks of the countries where the banknotes for Croatia and Luxembourg were produced.

The serial numbers of euro banknotes of the Europa series consist of two letters and ten digits. The first letter identifies the printing works that produced a banknote, not the issuing central bank. The second letter can be used by printing works to make more serial numbers possible. Printing works and corresponding letters are listed below.

No. The bridges and parts of buildings depicted on the euro banknotes do not exist. They were designed to represent different ages and styles and do not depict any specific structures, such a not to be associated with a particular country. Their meaning is purely symbolic. Similar bridges, windows and doorways can be found in many parts of Europe.

The decision not to produce EUR 1 or EUR 2 banknotes had to do with harmonising different standards in place across the EU at the time the euro was introduced. Furthermore, from a business perspective, coins are preferable for small denominations, as they have a longer lifespan.

Each denomination is a different size to make it easier for blind and visually impaired people to tell them apart.

The TRY 1 coin looks a lot like the EUR 2 coin. There are a number of obvious differences, however:

• the value number – “1” vs “2”
• the design of the edges – the edge of the TRY 1 coin is milled, while there is lettering and fine milling around the edge of the EUR 2 coin
• the material composition – the TRY 1 exhibits different electrical properties and it is not magnetic

There are similarities in the two-colour, bimetal design as well as in the dimensions and weights of the coins.
As other bimetal coins existed even before the euro was introduced, the TRY 1 coin bears a resemblance to coins of other currencies as well.

The sorting machines operated by the OeNB and its subsidiaries are able to identify lira coins without any difficulty.

The TRY 1 coin is worth around EUR 0.47 (subject to current exchange rates). To avoid any inconvenience, please make sure to check coins carefully before accepting them.

There are currency agreements in place that allow these countries to issue their own euro coins.

No, this is not necessary. Even if they have different national sides, euro circulation coins are legal tender throughout the euro area.

Yes. All euro banknotes and coins meet the same high quality standards, even if they have been – and continue to be – produced by different printing works and mints throughout the euro area. A carefully designed quality management system sees to that.

Specific precautions have been taken to prevent the counterfeiting of euro coins, especially those of high denominations (EUR 1 and EUR 2). The sophisticated two-colour design of the EUR 1 and EUR 2 coins, the embossed lettering around the edge of the EUR 2 coin and the milled edges of all other euro coins make them considerably difficult to counterfeit. The special alloys they are made of are extremely difficult to replicate. Moreover, the centre pieces of the EUR 1 and EUR 2 coins are made of a three-layer material with a magnetisable core. This makes it easier for vending machines to verify their authenticity.

The OeNB does not trade in foreign currency.

• You can exchange Austrian schillings (and groschen) for euro (and cent) at the OeNB in Vienna and at OeNB – Western Austria in Innsbruck. No deadline applies for Austrian schillings of the last series. 
• Other legacy currencies of the euro, like Deutsche mark, can only be exchanged at the national central banks of the respective country.
• When the euro is introduced in further EU countries, the OeNB will offer a currency exchange service for a period of two months from the date of introduction for those foreign currencies that are being replaced by the euro.
• You can also send legacy currencies to the relevant central bank by insured mail, provided you include you bank details for the refund. Please note that different deadlines may apply for exchanging old banknotes or coins for euro.