A leading player in the manufacture of euro banknotes

Specialised initially in producing the small denominations of the Series 1 (5, 10 and 20 euro banknotes), the Banque de France now produces all the denominations of the new Europa series, from the €5 to the €200 banknote, i.e. a total of six denominations. It has largely contributed to the production of the new €100 and €200 banknotes issued in May 2019, producing 20% and 46% respectively of the total volume of these two denominations manufactured within the Eurosystem. The average annual volume of euro banknotes delivered is between 1 billion and 1.5 billion.

On average, a banknote will find its way back to a euro area central bank counter every six months. Euro area banknotes last for an average of three years, but individual lifespans vary widely depending on the denomination: around 1.5 years for the €10 note. The €100 and €200 last longer and are less prone to wear and tear as they tend to be used more for hoarding purposes. The new Europa series of banknotes is designed to be longer-lasting than the previous series, as well as having enhanced security features to prevent counterfeiting. The new notes are being rolled out gradually over a number of years. To date, four denominations of the Europa series have made their way into consumer’s wallets: the €5 (launched 2 May 2013), the €10 (23 September 2014) and the €20 (25 November 2015) and more recently, the €50 (4 April 2017).