New €20 note launches today

IF YOU notice some changes in certain €20 notes from today – do not worry, it is a new style of note, not a fake.

After new €5 notes in 2013 and new €10 ones in 2014, the €20 is the next note to have been revamped.

The new ‘Europe series’ note is more colourful and has some new features making it harder to forge. These include a window which shows a goddess figure if you hold it up to the light, but rainbow stripes and a euro symbol if you tilt the note.

The €20 note is the one that is most often forged.

The Banque de France says bank machines are being filled up with the new notes today. Four billion have been printed Europe-wide.

The old notes remain in use, though they will be progressively withdrawn and will cease to be leal tender after a certain date (but will remain exchangeable by the Banque de France).