Money, money, money: behind the scenes at a euro note printing press

SUMMARY

In secretive vaults in Rome, crisp 100 and 200 euro banknotes are rolling off the printing press. The new notes with enhanced security features will offer better protection against forgeries, officials told Reuters, which was given rare access to see the Bank of Italy's Banknote Printing Department at work. The notes, named after the mythological princess Europa and released on Tuesday, have large value numerals in a bolder design and contrasting shades to make them easier to identify, European Central Bank (ECB) Banknotes Director Ton Roos said. "If you hold the banknote up to the light and then on the left hand side you see the watermark with the portrait of ... Europa and on the right hand side, on the top of the silver stripe, you have a portrait window, also with the portrait of Europa," Roos said as he held up a new 100 euro note. "When you look to the (bottom left) corner, you have a numeral that is green ... when you tilt the note ... you see a light line going up and down and inside the numeral you see little euro logos," he said. The printing of the 100 and 200 euro notes completes the Europa series that has been gradually replacing the first set of euro notes first issued in 2002.

By ReutersMay 28, 2019 10:19:11 AM IST (Published)

A machine cuts the new 200 euro banknotes in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi

A worker manages sheets of the new 100 and 200 euro banknotes in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi

A detail of the silvery stripe on the new 200 euro banknote is seen in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi

The new 100 euro banknote is seen in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi

European Central Bank (ECB) Banknotes Director Ton Roos shows the new 100 and 200 euro banknotes in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi

The new 200 euro banknote is seen in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi

A worker manages sheets of the new 200 euro banknotes in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi

A machine places in the box the newly printed 200 euro banknotes in the secretive vaults inside the Bank of Italy, in Rome May 21, 2019. Picture taken May 21, 2019 REUTERS/Yara Nardi