Euro Banknote Redesign Pits Kingfishers Against da Vinci and Other Icons

The European Central Bank has released a shortlist of ten potential designs for a new series of printed banknotes, marking the first complete redesign since the Euro note was introduced in 2002.

According to Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), the new designs will feature either birds or cultural icons like Ludwig van Beethoven and Marie Curie. The ECB narrowed down possible themes through a public survey in 2023, which received over 365,000 responses.

The shortlisted designs include six iconic figures in the 'European culture' theme, such as Leonardo da Vinci on the €100 note, and six species of birds in natural European settings for the 'birds and rivers' theme. The public has until mid-September to weigh in on their preferred design.