CashSum

About the Euro

The euro became an official currency in 1999, but it stayed invisible for three years, used only for electronic accounting while national currencies like the French franc and German mark remained in people's pockets. Physical notes and coins only entered circulation on 1 January 2002, when they quickly replaced twelve national currencies across the newly formed eurozone. Since then, the eurozone has kept growing, most recently welcoming Bulgaria on 1 January 2026.

Euro banknotes come in seven denominations: €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500, though the €500 note stopped being issued in 2019 over concerns it made illicit transactions too easy. Every note shares the same design across all member countries, showing windows and doorways on the front and bridges on the back, symbolizing openness and connection rather than any single nation's landmarks. Coins are different: each country mints its own design on one side, while the reverse stays common to the whole currency union.

A small but clever detail: the 20 cent coin has seven scalloped edges, shaped like a rounded flower, so people can recognize it by touch alone even in a dark pocket or wallet. Euro coins are also designed to resist melting down for their metal value, and vending machines and cash counters use their weight and magnetic properties to sort them automatically, the same logic this calculator relies on to help you count your euros in seconds.