0 Euro - La Rochelle - L'aquarium shark

The zero euro souvenir note program was launched in France in 2016 by the European Banknote Memory Organization, with Oberthur Fiduciaire handling production for the entire initial rollout. These notes are legal tender in the technical sense — the European Central Bank authorized their face value — but no merchant is obliged to accept them, and none ever circulate. They are sold directly to visitors as collectibles, priced well above their nominal worth from the moment of purchase.

Aquarium La Rochelle, one of the largest public aquariums in France, was among the first wave of cultural and tourist institutions to commission an edition. The shark subject was a deliberate commercial choice — the aquarium's shark tank is its primary draw.