Reproduction Rules of euro banknotes
Reproductions of euro banknotes can be used without previous ECB or NBC authorization in advertisement or picture when there is not possibility to confuse with authentic banknotes.
On 25 March 2003 the European Central Bank (ECB) published in the Official Journal of the European Union a Guideline 
(130 KB) and a Decision (138 KB) on new rules specifying the conditions to be met by reproductions of euro banknotes. These rules were approved by the ECB Governing Council at its meeting on 20 March 2003 and entered into force on the day following their publication.
The purpose of these rules is appropriately to protect euro banknotes and prevent reproductions that may be mistaken for genuine banknotes. So, reproduction of euro banknotes is not a liberalized activity, but subject to rules that specify when reproductions are authorised and prohibit those that may lead to confusion. Where there is any doubt, the ECB or the national central banks can be asked to confirm the lawfulness of a reproduction.
To begin with, Article 1 of the ECB Decision defines the denominations, dimensions and specifications of euro banknotes.
"The first series of euro banknotes shall include seven denominations in the range of five euro to 500 euro, depicting the theme "Ages and styles of Europe", with the following basic specifications:"
| Facial value (EUR) | Dimensions | Dominant color | Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 120 x 62 mm | Grey | Classical |
| 10 | 127 x 67 mm | Red | Romanesque |
| 20 | 133 x 72 mm | Blue | Gothic |
| 50 | 140 x 77 mm | Orange | Renaissance |
| 100 | 147 x 82 mm | Green | Baroque and rococo |
| 200 | 153 x 82 mm | Yellow | Iron and glass architecture |
| 500 | 160 x 82 mm | Purple | Modern 20th century architecture |
Subsequently, the ECB specifies which reproductions are lawful and which are not:
Reproductions which the general public might mistake for genuine euro banknotes shall be deemed unlawful.
Reproductions complying with the following criteria shall be deemed lawful since there is no risk that the general public might mistake them for genuine euro banknotes:
- one-sided reproductions of a euro banknote, provided that the size of the reproduction is at least 125% of both the length and width or at most 75% of both the length and width of the respective euro banknote as specified in Article 1;
- two-sided reproductions of a euro banknote, provided that the size of the reproduction is at least 200% of both the length and width or at most 50% of both the length and width of the respective euro banknote as specified in Article 1;
- reproductions of individual design elements of a euro banknote, provided that such a design element is not depicted on a background resembling a banknote;
- one-sided reproductions depicting a part of the front side or reverse side of a euro banknote, provided that such a part is smaller than one-third of the original front side or reverse side of the euro banknote;
- reproductions made of a material clearly different from paper, which looks distinctly different from the material used for banknotes;
- intangible reproductions made available electronically on websites, by wire or wireless means or by any other means that allow members of the public to access these intangible reproductions from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, provided that:
- the word SPECIMEN is printed diagonally across the reproduction in Arial font or a font similar to Arial font. The length of the word SPECIMEN is at least 75% of the length of the reproduction and the height of the word SPECIMEN is at least 15% of the width of the reproduction, and is in a non-transparent (opaque) colour contrasting with the dominant colour of the respective euro banknote.
- the resolution of the electronic reproduction in its original size does not exceed 72 dpi (dots per inch).
Reproductions not meeting the foregoing requirements must be expressly authorised. The ECB and the national central banks (NCBs) shall, upon receiving a written request, provide confirmation that reproductions not complying with such requirements, insofar as they cannot be mistaken by the general public for a genuine euro banknote, are also lawful. Where the reproductions are to be produced in the territory of only one participating Member State, the written request shall be addressed to the NCB of that Member State. In all other cases, such requests shall be addressed to the ECB.
Reproduction rules for euro banknotes also apply to euro banknotes that have been withdrawn or have lost their legal tender status.
In case of doubt, you may ask your questions by writeen in the following address.
Banco de España
Departamento de Emisión y Caja
Alcalá 48
28014 Madrid
Fax: (34) 91 338 68 87
e-mail: emisionycaja@bde.es
If after three weeks time, no answered has been received, they may repeat their consultation or ask by phone dialing (34) 91 338 63 00.