I want 1 € and 2 € banknotes! I'm tired of carrying all those coins around!

[a3v1]

I'm sure that 1 & 2 Euro notes would be very popular with collectors,especially if the 1 & 2 Euro notes are from Cyprus,Ireland,& Malta.

Aidan, The interest of collectors will not suffice to making the issue of 1 & 2 Euro notes worth while. There is too much opposition against these small notes, even in Cyprus, Ireland & Malta.
And what makes you sure that such notes would be popular with collectors? As I see it, you are speaking for yourself only.
Regards,
a3v1

[BC Numismatics]

A3v1,
  The Americans use both a $1 coin & a $1 note,so I was thinking that having a 1 Euro note circulating along with the 1 Euro coin would be a great idea,as would a 2 Euro note circulating along with the 2 Euro coin.

Collectors of Euro banknotes would really be seriously studying each note's details like they do with the higher denominations from 5 Euros upwards.

It would be a great idea to print them in polymer plastic as a way of combatting the forgery problem.

Aidan.

[chrisild]

If people in Cyprus, Ireland and Malta want such low value notes as collector items, let them have them. The central banks of these three countries, whatever sets them apart from the other euro area member states, could issue "collector notes" which would be regional money only of course, and (judging from how those countries issue collector coins) not be available at face value. Sure, the legal framework would have to be modified for that, but why not?

Issuing such low value notes for general circulation, like in the US, would be silly. But fortunately that won't happen anyway.

Christian

[chrisild]

About a year ago, Louis Giscard d'Estaing (member of the French parliament) called for low value euro notes "to rival the dollar bill". At least from his point of view the demand makes sense. His constituency is home to a Banque de France printing plant.

Seems he is still busy promoting those notes and the economy in his home département. This week he formed a group of rag euro supporters in the French parliament ...
http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/01/25/01011-20100125FILWWW00756-vers-un-billet-d-un-euro-.php

Christian

[Tom0000]

There was a time , when we used paper note of current value of 20c in my country.
It was time of mad finance and crisis. I do not want to see low nominated notes.
I do not see any problem to carry coins in pocket. No problem to pay using coins instead of card and spend coins this way.

If someone is complaining , should travel to Australia and try to use local coins. Lower nominal is bigger than higher nominal. Coins are much bigger and heavier .  Good place to test .

[Bimat]

There was a time , when we used paper note of current value of 20c in my country.
It was time of mad finance and crisis. I do not want to see low nominated notes.
I do not see any problem to carry coins in pocket. No problem to pay using coins instead of card and spend coins this way.

If someone is complaining , should travel to Australia and try to use local coins. Lower nominal is bigger than higher nominal. Coins are much bigger and heavier .  Good place to test .

You are right,Tom.Australian coins are rather heavy,so are the British coins.The British 2 Pound coin weighs little over 12 grams..
In India,we have the copper Nickel version of 5 Rupees coin which weighs 8.85 grams,although it doesn't have high face value.Now they have reduced the weight to 6 grams,and are made of nickel brass.The Indian bimetal weighs 7.7 grams now!

Aditya

[Figleaf]

Please do not forget that Louis Giscard d'Estaing is ... ummm ... not taken too seriously in France. Look at the comments. One in favour, the others from negative to laughing out loud, as in "Ils s'ennuient au gouvernement ?" (they must be bored in the government).

Peter

[zarazek]

Yawn. What part of "No" do these people not understand? Now if they were for the introduction of a €5 circulation coin (ie. both "paper" and "metal" for that denomination), and/or for doing away with 1 and 2 cent coins, I may even join them ...

Erm, what's wrong with 1 and 3 cent coins? If you don't like them, don't use them

[chrisild]

Erm, what's wrong with 1 and 3 cent coins? If you don't like them, don't use them

That "3" was just a typo, right? Well, yes, I could simply say to a cashier "nah, keep your 1 and 2 ct coins". But that alone would not keep the euro area governments from making millions of them ...

Christian

[zarazek]

Yeh, it was a typo!

But can you just explain why 1 and 2 c coins bother you? I personally love collecting them in a jar and exchange them at a bank every few months - it's extra cash which shopkeepers would get if I refused to accept them as change.

[chrisild]

They are just a hassle - too much volume and weight compared to what each of them is worth. Mind you, as a collector I like those small denominations - partly because some euro countries have eight different designs for the eight denominations, partly because I find the edge of the 2 cent coin pretty cool.

And yes, as you wrote, if the consumer simply refused to accept them, the store would keep them and get a little extra profit. That is why in civilized countries you round the cash totals. Let's take the Dutch-Finnish example: If the total amount of all your supermarket purchases ends in 8, 9, 0, 1, or 2, that total will be rounded to 0. If it ends in 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, it will be rounded to 5. Guess it takes some psychology to figure out what would make sense as the smallest denomination - if everything was rounded to multiples of 1 euro, for example, pretty much everybody would complain or stop using cash. As a "coin man" I strongly oppose that of course, hehe.

In Sweden for example the smallest denomination is currently the 50 öre coin. That will be taken out of circulation at the end of September; the smallest piece will then be the 1 krona (roughly €0.10). In Switzerland, suggestions of the central bank to make the 10 rp/ct coin the lowest denomination (in euro that would be about 7 cent) turned out to not be very popular, so the smallest piece is the 5 rp/ct coin ...

Christian