Catalog
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| Issuer | EuroSouvenir |
|---|---|
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Souvenir banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI facing each other in a handshake, with the dome of St. Peter's Basilica rising between them against a lilac guilloche underprint. The large numeral "0" appears at left within an ornate frame, flanked by the EU flag and serial prefix. Lower right bears the CEO facsimile signature of R. Faille. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Six European architectural landmarks arranged across the note — Brandenburg Gate, Belém Tower, Eiffel Tower, Colosseum, Sagrada Família, and Manneken Pis — rendered in intaglio-style line work over a lilac guilloche underprint. A vignette of the Mona Lisa appears at right. Printer's imprint reads "IMPRIME PAR OBERTHUR FIDUCIAIRE" along the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
EuroSouvenir notes occupy a peculiar niche — legal in production, worthless in exchange, sold as collectibles at tourist sites and religious attractions across the Schengen area. This particular issue commemorates the unprecedented coexistence of a sitting pope and his living predecessor, a situation with no real modern parallel in Catholic institutional history. Benedict XVI's resignation in 2013 was the first papal abdication since Gregory XII in 1415.
Oberthur Fiduciaire produced the note to official euro format specifications, including genuine security features, which is the whole commercial point of the EuroSouvenir program — the tactile legitimacy of a real banknote.