New €20 to enter circulation from Wednesday

Crisp new €20 notes with enhanced security features will enter circulation in Ireland and the euro area from Wednesday.

The Central Bank unveiled the new notes in Dublin on Tuesday. It said it had engaged closely with all those in the "cash cycle", including the banking industry, cash in transit companies, credit unions, banknote equipment manufacturers, machine suppliers, transport companies and government bodies to ensure the smooth introduction of the notes.

The note is the third in the ‘Europa’ series of banknotes which are gradually replacing the original series of euro banknotes introduced in 2002.

Use the slider to compare the old and new note

The Europa €5 was issued in May 2013 and a new €10 note followed in September last year.

‘Feel, look and tilt’

As with the other notes in the series, the new €20 may be easily checked using the ‘feel, look and tilt’ method, the bank said.

Features include a portrait watermark of the Greek goddess Europa, raised lines along the sides of the note and a shiny emerald-colour number.

The new note also has an additional security feature, known as the portrait window.

When the note is held up against the light, the window near the top of the hologram becomes transparent and reveals a portrait of Europa and rainbow-coloured lines, on both sides of the note.

Some 3.2 billion €20 notes were in circulation in the euro area as at the end of October. In total, there were 18.1 billion banknotes in circulation with a face value of €1,053.8 billion.

The total net issuance of €20 notes in Ireland at the end of October was 21.7 million.

Existing notes

The Central Bank emphasised that the existing €20 remains legal tender and that the new note will circulate alongside it.

English- and Irish-language information leaflets on the note are available and there are also braille and audio versions.

New versions of the €50, €100, €200 and €500 notes will also be issued in time.