0 Euro Lourdes

The 0 Euro souvenir program was launched in 2015 by Richard Faille, a French entrepreneur who licensed the European Central Bank's banknote format for commemorative use. Oberthur Fiduciaire produces these notes to the same security specification as circulating euro currency — including intaglio printing and watermarking — though they carry no legal tender status in any jurisdiction. The Lourdes issue targets the roughly five million pilgrims and tourists who visit the Marian shrine annually, and souvenir notes from high-traffic religious sites consistently rank among the fastest-selling in the series.