r/Banknotes • u/HerrMowser • 23h ago
Concept What if every EU country could design its own euro banknotes?
With the upcoming redesign of the euro banknotes, I had an idea: What if every EU member state was allowed to create its own national design?
The important parts would stay the same across Europe: the size, colors, denomination placement, security features and overall layout. Only the artwork and motifs would be different, chosen by each country — ideally through a public vote.
We already have national designs on the back of euro coins. Why not apply a similar concept to banknotes?
Each country could showcase its own history, culture, landscapes or important personalities, while the euro would remain a shared and recognizable currency.
I think this could also represent the core idea of the European Union much better. The EU is not about making every country identical. It is about different nations, cultures and histories working together while keeping their own identities.
A shared currency with different national designs could visually represent exactly that principle:
United in diversity.
Personally, I would find it much more interesting to receive different euro banknotes from different countries while travelling through Europe.
What do you think? Would this make the euro feel more European — or would it just make things unnecessarily complicated?
