Comment by fodkodrasz | Hacker News Reader

Comment by fodkodrasz | Hacker News Reader

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I wonder why do we need new notes... but I guess running some competition is not a tragedy.

You can see all side-by-side here: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/banknotes/future_banknotes/ht...

My takes:

Designs A and B and I are not terrible, but I'm not impressed.

Design C - the backside looks like the worst soulless corporate landing page graphics (Corporate Memphis style?).

Design D and E, H are okayish. Possibly I'd prefer something along these lines.

Design F has very strange coloring, the watercolor and sketch effect looks nice on screen, but I think more filled and more monochrome notes are more conventional and accepted, also some are bicolor. Not bad, but I'd not like it in everyday use probably.

Design G is somehow not good looking, I cannot phrase it. Both the font, and also the backsides scenes are meh, even the modernist buildings are better on some other series.

Design J : the creepy abstract cartoon people on the backside ruin it. Also somehow not aesthetically pleasing, but not catastrophic.

> I wonder why do we need new notes...

Every redesign introduces new (secret) watermarks, patterns that are hard to copy, so it's also a "tech" update. Eventually more and more of the details become public. By now the current banknotes are too well known and I guess the counterfeits are getting too close.

> Every redesign introduces new (secret) watermarks, patterns that are hard to copy, so it's also a "tech" update. Eventually more and more of the details become public. By now the current banknotes are too well known and I guess the counterfeits are getting too close.

But if I wanted to create counterfeit euro bank notes I could just go with the old ones, no?

Anyway, I think creating new designs just for fun is a good enough reason for me to create new notes.

Old bank notes are not in circulation forever. They are accounted for by serial numbers. Banks and ATMs can process the serials and designs and report them. Eventually bank notes get pulled out of circulation. So an old bank note is by default suspicious and gets checked more thoroughly. Counterfeiters mostly benefit by blending in with the masses, so having some old note can raise suspicion.

Maybe it is also just fun...

The old ones get pulled out of circulation and usually stop being accepted at most places, or at least get more scrutiny.

The original euro banknotes were replaced between 2013 and 2019 and are still accepted everywhere you can use the new ones.

I love H, and I mean it - not only acceptable but even pleasing to me, quite surprising to say. A and B stayed too long in the sun, C indeed is PowerPoint heaven, D is fun but in a circus entry ticket way, E reminds me of a school book and not in the good way, F ouch my eyes too much going on, G okayish but doesn't feel like a banknote but rather... flyers? I - spilled its colors in a watercolor cleaning water way, and finally J is too photo-realistic to look banknote-ish to me.

PS you can even vote for them! https://surveys.ecb.europa.eu/10b/neweuro/

same here, H has class, contrast and is just so pleasing to look at!

> I wonder why do we need new notes...

An average lifetime of a banknote is 1-2 years for smaller amounts, 2-4 years for bigger ones. It is estimated that 15-25% of all banknotes are replaced every year. From about 30 billion individual banknotes in circulation that makes 4.5B to 7.5B each year.

So why not introduce new designs (and new protections?)

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