The European Central Bank has unveiled ten shortlisted proposals for a new generation of euro banknotes. One of them transforms Europe’s currency into a gallery of artistic, scientific and humanitarian achievement.
The euro may soon look very different. The European Central Bank has presented ten shortlisted design proposals for its future banknote series and invited the public to share its preferences. The proposals are divided between two themes: European culture and Rivers and birds.
No final design has been selected. The public consultation will inform the ECB Governing Council, which is expected to decide on the new designs around the end of 2026. Even after that decision, the new banknotes will require years of technical development, security testing and production before entering circulation.
Among the shortlisted entries is Design C by Neue Gestaltung GmbH. Its six denominations are instantly distinguished by colour and geometry, while every front features a major European cultural figure. The reverse sides connect those figures with contemporary spaces where culture continues to live: performance, music, education, libraries, museums and public squares.
Maria Callas – €5
The smallest denomination is dedicated to the performing arts through Maria Callas. Her dramatic intensity, unmistakable voice and extraordinary command of the stage changed modern opera and helped turn the soprano into a lasting symbol of musical theatre.
Ludwig van Beethoven – €10
Beethoven represents music itself. His symphonies, concertos, sonatas and string quartets expanded the expressive possibilities of composition, while the melody of Ode to Joy became one of European’s most recognisable musical emblems.
Marie Curie – €20
The €20 proposal links Curie with universities and schools. Her pioneering research on radioactivity reshaped science and medicine, and her two Nobel Prizes made her an enduring symbol of intellectual courage and discovery.
Miguel de Cervantes – €50
Cervantes stands for European’s literary heritage and its libraries. Don Quixote transformed the modern novel through imagination, humour and psychological insight, leaving a profound mark on writers across languages and centuries.
Leonardo da Vinci – €100
Leonardo’s place on the €100 note connects him with museums and exhibitions. Painter, investigator, engineer and inventor, he remains one of the clearest expressions of the Renaissance ideal: curiosity without boundaries.
Bertha von Suttner – €200
The highest denomination honours Bertha von Suttner, the writer and peace activist who became the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Her presence gives the series a humanitarian conclusion, linking European identity not only with achievement, but also with the pursuit of peace.
A CHOICE STILL TO BE MADE
These portraits are not yet European’s next banknotes. They belong to one shortlisted proposal among ten, and the competing nature-themed series remains equally possible. The final result may therefore feature these cultural figures, a different artistic interpretation of them, or rivers and birds instead.
For classical music audiences, however, the possibility of carrying Callas and Beethoven in everyday life is especially compelling. It suggests that cultural heritage need not remain confined to concert halls and museums: it can become part of the objects people touch, exchange and recognise every day.
Important: All banknote images shown are design proposals for a possible future euro banknote series. They are not final designs and are not legal tender. Official proposal imagery is credited to the European Central Bank.
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