The euro (sign: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozoneconsists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The currency is also used in a further 5 European countries (Montenegro, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican) and the disputed territory of Kosovo. It is consequently used daily by some 332 million Europeans. Additionally, over 175 million people worldwide use currencies which are pegged to the euro, including more than 150 million people in Africa.
The euro is the second largest reserve currency as well as the second most traded currency in the world after the United States dollar
Security features in Euro Coins
Security features in Euro Coins
Euro coins incorporate high-security machine-readable characteristics. They can be used in vending machines throughout the euro area - no matter where they were issued.
- Sophisticated bi-metal and sandwich technologies have been incorporated into the €1 and €2 coins.
- The material of the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins is a unique alloy (Nordic gold), which is difficult to melt and used exclusively for coins.
