0 Euro Dunkerque Jean Bart

Jean Bart, the Dunkirk-born privateer who raided English and Dutch shipping under letters of marque from Louis XIV, has been a civic obsession in his home city for centuries — his statue in the main square has made him the default face of local pride. The zero-euro souvenir series, launched commercially around 2015, exploits that attachment deliberately: these notes are printed by Oberthur to full euro security specifications, including the correct paper and UV features, but carry no legal tender status anywhere.

Oberthur's involvement is not incidental — the Rennes-based firm prints genuine euro banknotes for the Banque de France, so the production quality is indistinguishable from circulating currency to the untrained eye.