Catalog
0 Euro - Marco Polo
| Issuer | Société Européenne de Fabrication de Billets (SEFB) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Souvenir banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | MARCO POLO EUROSOUVENIR 2024-1 EURO SOUVENIR R. FAILLE C.E.O. SEFB |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Holographic foil patch affixed at the upper right corner of the obverse |
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| Comments |
The zero-euro souvenir note is a French invention, launched around 2015 by Richard Faivre and produced under license through Oberthur Fiduciaire. SEFB coordinates the program across tourist sites and cultural attractions throughout Europe, issuing notes that carry no legal tender status but are printed on genuine banknote paper with real security features — including the hologram strip — to discourage counterfeiting of a note worth nothing.
Marco Polo's connection to the zero-euro format is quietly appropriate: he was among the first Europeans to describe Chinese paper money in detail, reporting with astonishment that the Mongol court could compel trade with printed paper backed by nothing but imperial authority.