Euro banknotes are very secure. The materials they are made from and their special details make them difficult to copy. To know if a banknote is genuine, you can use a very simple trick called “Feel, Look and Tilt”:
- Feel the banknote's special paper. If you wave it, the noise it makes isn’t like ordinary paper. And if you run your finger over the banknote, you’ll notice that some of the images feel thicker.
- Hold it up to the light and look at the images. You’ll see a picture of Princess Europa and how much the banknote is worth.
- Turn the banknote to see how some of the drawings and colours change. When you tilt a banknote, the images on the hologram (the silver band) change. In the left-hand corner of the banknote, you can see its value, which changes colour when you tilt it.
So, anyone can check if a banknote is genuine!
Become a cash expert! Watch the following video and remember to always check the banknotes you are given. Look for at least three security features.
Banknotes also have other security features that can be detected by ATMs and other machines, but you need special equipment to see them. To learn more, visit this page
where you can explore banknotes in 3D and find out about all their security features.