ECB unveils two design series for new euro banknotes: historical figures or birds, put to public vote

Designs for new Euro banknotes. Source: European Central Bank

Should historical figures or birds adorn Euro banknotes? Europe's citizens are being asked to decide. Can the currency—criticized as an aesthetic failure since its launch in 2002—be redeemed? Some proposed motifs are already drawing mockery, and for good reason.

A Legacy of Soulless Design

"Must banknotes be ugly?" Kurt Tucholsky once asked. The renowned Weimar Republic feuilletonist knew the subject well. During the hyperinflation of 1923, he fled from meager earnings into a banking apprenticeship, seeking hard currencies.

Tucholsky understood which paper money felt better or worse in hand. He could explain why "new banknotes usually look even dumber than the old ones"—and why almost all banknotes lack aesthetics. Writing under his pseudonym Peter Panter, he observed that "the gentlemen designers" make the same mistake: They try to depict something allegorical, over-ambitiously filling the small space on the paper. "It is supposed to form a picture, but not little pictures."

What would Tucholsky have said about the Euro? "Looks like play money," many thought in 2002. The currency's aesthetic shortcomings have clung to its banknotes ever since. Fictitious bridges, windows, and gates were meant to symbolize European unity and openness—no real buildings, no competition between member states, no "my Rialto Bridge" versus "my Sainte-Chapelle" or "my Porta Nigra." As neutralized as intended, the notes remain soulless today.

New Designs to Strengthen European Identity

The European Central Bank (ECB) now aims to change that. New banknotes with fresh motifs are intended to "strengthen our common identity," according to ECB President Christine Lagarde. "Euro banknotes are more than a means of payment—they are one of the most tangible expressions of Europe."

The ECB will let citizens choose between two thematic series: birds or historical personalities.

The Proposed Series

Most of the ten designs (labeled A through J) for the six denominations (€5, €10, €20, €50, €100, and €200) appear cheap and AI-generated in style. Two motif series are up for voting, each with five variants.

Series 1: Historical Figures

Front sides feature notable individuals from various fields:

• Maria Callas (singing)
• Ludwig van Beethoven (composition)
• Marie Curie (natural science)
• Miguel de Cervantes (writing)
• Leonardo da Vinci (art)
• Bertha von Suttner (peace)

Reverse sides depict people dancing, listening, researching, reading, marveling, and traveling peacefully.

Design for new Euro banknote: Front side in Design C. Source: European Central Bank

Design for new Euro banknote: Back side in Design C. Source: European Central Bank

Series 2: Birds and EU Institutions

This series features birds on the front (Wallcreeper, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, White Stork, Avocet, and Northern Gannet) and EU institutions on the back. The pairing raises questions: Is the EU suggesting that Parliament, Commission, Central Bank, Court of Justice, Council, and Court of Auditors are worthy biotopes of the European idea needing protection? The decision to depict bureaucratic institutions alongside birds has been met with skepticism. Hermeneutically, this pairing could be read as a mortgage—a left-green gesture that may spark culture wars.