Europa series banknotes were introduced gradually over several years. The first four denominations in the series – €5, €10, €20 and €50 – were put into circulation in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 respectively. The €100 and €200 banknotes started circulating on 28 May 2019 and completed the Europa series. Another way to check the authenticity of banknotes by the checksum is: replace the letter with its order in the alphabet (for example, the a` 1, the `z`, 26; not counting the ñ, then it will be added to the rest of the series and it will get a result that must be 8, If the result is a two-digit number, these are added until there is a one-digit number and it must be 8. The European Central Bank has published some of the most rudimentary security features of euro banknotes, allowing the public to quickly determine whether a banknote is genuine or not. However, to ensure your safety, the entire list of these devices is a jealously guarded secret. Euro banknotes are currently used by more than 338 million people in 19 countries. In 1999, the currency was born virtually[2] and in 2002, banknotes and coins began to circulate. [2] It quickly replaced national currencies and slowly spread to the rest of the EU. [2] In 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon formalised the political authority of the euro, the Eurogroup, together with the European Central Bank. [6] As of May 2013, around 2,844,195 twenty-euro banknotes were in circulation in euro area countries. [8] This corresponds to an approximate total of €56,883,046 in twenty banknotes.

The European Central Bank controls the circulation and quantity of euro banknotes and coins. The role of the Eurosystem is to ensure the efficient and smooth deployment of the euro and to maintain its integrity throughout the euro area. When illuminated by near-infrared light, banknotes show some areas darker than others in different areas of the banknote, depending on their denomination. Ultraviolet light makes the constellation EURion appear with a higher contrast and also makes some fluorescent wires clearly visible. At the European level, there are several communities of people who, as hobbies, keep an eye on the euro banknotes that pass through their hands and know where they have travelled. The most well-known tool for banknote tracking is EuroBillTracker. [9] The aim is to collect as much data as possible to get details about their distribution: for example, from where they travel, to track and compile statistics and rankings, for example in which countries there are more tickets. As of July 2013, EuroBillTracker had registered more than 120 million banknotes[1] worth more than €2,105 million. The new euro banknotes are more durable than those in the first series, which means they have to be replaced less frequently, reducing costs and environmental impact. This is important, especially when it comes to the €5 and €10 banknotes, which change hands more often than others. The new series, titled „Europe,“ features a portrait of Europe — a figure from Greek mythology who was abducted by Zeus, who gave the continent his name — in a watermark and hologram. The new banknotes were introduced gradually over several years, starting with the €5 banknote in May 2013, the €10 banknote in September 2014, the €20 banknote in November 2015, the €50 banknote in April 2017 and the €100 and €200 banknotes in May 2019.

In May 2016, the European Central Bank decided not to issue a €500 banknote for the Europa series in order to make money laundering more difficult. [17] At the European level, there are several communities of people (the most important of whom is EuroBillTracker) who, as a hobby, pursue the euro banknotes that pass through their hands to follow them and know where they have travelled or travelled. The goal is to capture as many tickets as possible to get details about their distribution (from where and where they usually travel), track them (where a particular ticket was viewed) and compile statistics and rankings (for example, in which countries the most tickets are registered). As of November 2021, EuroBillTracker had registered more than 206 million banknotes worth more than €3788 million. [25] Euro banknotes, the euro area`s paper money, have been in circulation since 1 January 2002, the date of issue of the first series. The national central banks of the Eurosystem and the European Central Bank have the right to issue them, although in practice only the former do so physically. [1] In 1999, the euro was introduced virtually[2] and in 2002, banknotes and coins were put into circulation. The euro quickly replaced previous national currencies and slowly spread to the European Union.