Souvenir zero-euro notes were introduced commercially in 2015 by Richard Faille, who licensed the euro format for use as collectibles sold at tourist sites across Europe. The scheme is entirely private — the Banque de France and the ECB have no issuing role, and these notes carry no legal tender status under any jurisdiction. Lourdes, drawing millions of pilgrims annually, was an obvious candidate for early inclusion in the series.
Nemery and Calmejane are a Paris-based studio responsible for a substantial portion of the souvenir zero-euro catalogue. The notes are printed by Oberthur Fiduciaire, which also handles genuine French fiscal documents, giving these pieces a surprisingly high production standard relative to their novelty purpose.
Souvenir zero-euro notes were introduced commercially in 2015 by Richard Faille, who licensed the euro format for use as collectibles sold at tourist sites across Europe. The scheme is entirely private — the Banque de France and the ECB have no issuing role, and these notes carry no legal tender status under any jurisdiction. Lourdes, drawing millions of pilgrims annually, was an obvious candidate for early inclusion in the series.
Nemery and Calmejane are a Paris-based studio responsible for a substantial portion of the souvenir zero-euro catalogue. The notes are printed by Oberthur Fiduciaire, which also handles genuine French fiscal documents, giving these pieces a surprisingly high production standard relative to their novelty purpose.