Euro Cash: 20 Years (2002-2022)

Started by chrisild, December 28, 2021, 09:20:28 PM

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chrisild

Twenty years ago, the euro ("born" in January 1999) turned into something tangible: The euro cash, notes and coins, became legal tender on 1-Jan-2002. These days that is celebrated in various ways, except that the pandemic makes major events, especially inside, almost impossible. So the Deutsche Bundesbank in Germany for example created a glass cube that is now on tour.

The cube can be "visited" – that is, the exhibits can be seen from outside – at any time. It shows various documents related to the euro cash introduction. Probably not worth a long trip, but if you happen to be in any of the "tour cities" while the cube is there, why not have a look ...

Currently, until 2 January, you can see the Exhibition Cube in Frankfurt. The next stops will be: Düsseldorf (Jan'22), Hannover (Feb), Hamburg (Mar), Berlin (Apr) and Leipzig (May); other locations are likely to follow later in 2022.

There will also be forums/talks about the history of the euro, experiences with the common currency, and about the "digital euro" as a possible new means of payment. Currently three events are scheduled, each with Bundesbank board member Johannes Beermann and some guests: in Stuttgart (24 March), Leipzig (18 May) and Düsseldorf (7 September).

Christian

chrisild

The Austrian Money Museum (in Vienna) also has an exhibition about 20 Years of Euro Cash. It opened yesterday and can be visited for about a year, until 30 June 2023. More information in German and English here. Admission is free, but note that the museum is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

Geldmuseum der OeNB, Otto-Wagner-Platz 3, 1090 Wien
Tue/Wed/Thu 9–16 h, Fri 9–13 h
The closest tram stops are Schwarzspanierstraße and Landesgerichtsstraße. Or take the subway to Schottentor and walk a little. :)

Attached is an image from the website which shows a design (for the Austrian 20 cent coin) that did not make it. Thomas Pesendorfer created that; guess that back then the decision to use the Spanish Flower shape for that denomination had not been made yet.

Pabitra

Only Belgium seems to be celebrating 20 years of Euro

chrisild

Well, this is not "20 years of the euro" (that was in 2019) but 20 years of the euro cash being legal tender. And this very topic shows that the occasion gets commemorated. ;) By issuing coins? Sure, Belgium is not the only country (France does it too, even explicitly but incorrectly saying "20 ans de l'euro"), but I would not put the emphasis on that. We do not need special coins every five or ten years to celebrate the "birth" of the euro or the launch of the euro cash.

Another portion of the "celebrations" is here for example - this is the English version; select another language from the menu at the top. And as for the Belgian and French pieces (there may be more, not sure), isn't it somewhat odd to commemorate 20 years of "our money" by issuing a piece that is legal tender in a small part of the currency union only? ;)  Heck, if they think a coin should be issued on that occasion, why not issue a Belgian or French €2 coin instead?