AN AID TO RECOGNIZING THE EURO FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY-SIGHTED VISITORS TO EUROPE Introduction January 1, 2002, marks an important date in world history: On that day, banknotes and coins denominated in euro (EUR) became legal tender throughout most of Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. The local currencies of participating countries no longer exist; all transactions, including cash transactions, are now conducted exclusively in euro. This being the case, anyone travelling to Europe should try to become familiar with this new currency, which is the second-largest currency in the world in terms of economic importance (after the U.S. dollar). An important distinction of the euro is that it is the first currency designed from the very beginning to be friendly to persons who are blind or have impaired vision. All euro banknotes and coins incorporate features intended to make them as easy as possible for blind users to identify, and consumer groups representing the blind participated directly in the design process. As a result of this, the euro is far more ergonomic for blind users than many currencies have historically been. This article describes how to recognize euro banknotes and coins by touch alone (and, to a lesser extent, by gross visual features, for use by persons who are partially sighted). Note: On the date of introduction of the euro currency, a single euro was worth slightly less than one U.S. dollar. The difference is small enough that travellers may consider euros roughly equivalent to dollars for the purposes of casual price comparisons, especially after allowances for exchange commissions are made. Overview of Currency The euro is divided into one hundred cent (note: the plural of euro and cent does not take an 's' in English). Notes and coins are denominated as follows: 0.01 - coin 0.02 - coin 0.05 - coin 0.10 - coin 0.20 - coin 0.50 - coin 1.00 - coin 2.00 - coin 5.00 - note 10.00 - note 20.00 - note 50.00 - note 100.00 - note 200.00 - note 500.00 - note All notes and coins incorporate special features for tactile identification. In addition, the colors of coins and notes have been chosen to make identification easy for persons with some residual vision, even if they cannot read the text markings on the currency. The Coins There are seven denominations of euro in coin. The three lowest denominations are small and dark red in color, and quite thin and light. The next three denominations are yellow in color and thicker, as well as heavier. The highest two denominations are each of two different colors, and are generally larger and thicker than the lower denominations. Guidelines: - The greater the value, the heavier the coin. - The greater the value, the larger the coin. - Red = low value; yellow = medium value; two different colors = high value One-cent coin The one-cent coin is the smallest of all coins, and size is probably the best way to identify the coin. It is small enough to fit almost entirely between the tips of the thumb and index finger of an average adult. The edge of the coin is smooth, and the coin is dark red in color (roughly the same color as a U.S. one-cent piece). Two-cent coin The two-cent coin is noticeably slightly larger than the one-cent coin and is of the same red color. It incorporates a distinctive groove running circumferentially around the edge of the coin; this groove can be felt easily by running the finger tip or a fingernail across the edge of the coin; the groove gives the visual and tactile impression of two coins pressed into one (although it is actually a single coin). Five-cent coin The five-cent coin is also red, and is the largest of the red coins, but only slightly larger than the two-cent coin. It has a smooth edge. The smallest three coins are generally recognizable by their color and their light weight, as well as their modest thickness (about that of a U.S. one-cent piece). If a groove can be felt in the coin, it is a two-cent piece; if it is small with no groove, it is a one-cent piece; if it is (relatively) large with no groove, it is a five-cent piece. Ten-cent coin The ten-cent coin is yellow in color. It is very slightly smaller than a five-cent piece, but it is much thicker, and it has a coarse serration around the edge. It is also heavier than any of the red coins. Twenty-cent coin The twenty-cent coin is larger than the ten-cent coin and is also yellow in color. It has a unique group of seven notches around the otherwise-smooth edge, making it easy to recognize by touch. Fifty-cent coin The fifty-cent coin is noticeably thicker, heavier, and larger than the smaller coins, and it has a coarsely serrated edge. The middle coin denominations are generally recognizable by their color and intermediate weight. Their thickness and weight distinguish them from the lower denominations. One-euro coin The one-euro coin has a silver-white interior and a yellow perimeter. The edge is distinctively marked with alternating smooth and finely serrated sections. The coin is of about the same thickness and weight as the fifty-cent piece, but its edge markings make it easy to tell apart from this latter coin. Two-euro coin The two-euro coin is of two colors also, but they are the opposite of the one-euro coin: the perimeter is silver-white, and the interior is yellow. It has the largest diameter of any euro coin. The edge has a fine, continuous serration. (The edge is also embossed with tiny stars at intervals, but this is difficult to detect by touch, and it isn't necessary to do so in order to distinguish the coin from other coins.) The two high coin denominations are distinctive because of their two-tone color scheme (silver inside = 1 euro, silver outside = 2 euro). The colors are not sharply distinct, but the edge markings allow the two coins to be easily distinguished from each other and from other coins. The large size of the 2-euro coin makes it distinctive as well. The most common confusions when identifying coins by touch are between the 5- and 10-cent coins, and between the 50-cent and 1-euro coins. Note that the 10-cent coin has a coarsely scalloped edge, whereas the 5-cent coin has a smooth edge. The 50-cent coin has a coarsely serrated edge as well, whereas the 1-euro coin has a finely-serrated edge, alternating with smooth areas. Banknotes Each banknote has a predominant color, and banknotes of adjacent denominations have sharply contrasting colors (that is, the 20-euro note is mostly blue, whereas the 10-euro note is mostly red, and so on). This allows the notes to be recognized even when the text printed upon them cannot be clearly seen. The denominations of each note are marked in large digits to make them easier to see. From a purely tactile standpoint, the major identifying characteristic is size: the larger the denomination, the larger the banknote. The denomination markings are in intaglio, meaning that the ink is raised off the paper--sensitive fingers may be able to distinguish printed denominations by touch. The lower denominations (5, 10, 20, 50) have smooth bands along one side containing holograms; the higher denominations (100, 200, 500) have smooth, square patches containing holograms. Finally, the 200-euro and 500-euro notes have distinctive tactile patterns along the bottom edges of the notes: the 200-euro note has vertical lines running from the bottom center to the right-hand corner, and the 500-euro note has diagonal lines running down the right-hand edge. Overall, the banknotes are more easily confused by touch than the coins; the 20-euro and 50-euro notes are the most easily confused. However, since ATMs often distribute only 20- and 10-euro notes, higher denominations are much less likely to be encountered in practice. It can be useful to fold a note between two fingers and then use the fingers as a length gauge to distinguish one note from another. The table below gives the colors and dimensions of each euro banknote: Denomination Overall Size (mm) 5 euro gray 120 x 62 10 euro red 127 x 67 20 euro blue 133 x 72 50 euro orange 140 x 77 100 euro green 147 x 82 200 euro yellow 153 x 82 500 euro purple 160 x 82 Additional Information A very comprehensive source of additional information on the euro currency for blind and partially-sighted users can be found at http://www.euroblind.org/fichiersGB/euro.htm This source is more complete than most visitors to Europe probably require, but it is interesting for those who are curious to know more. --------------- Copyright (C) 2002 by Anthony Atkielski E-mail: anthony@atkielski.com Web: http://www.atkielski.com Non-profit, non-commercial distribution without modification permitted in any form (online, print, etc.), provided this notice and copyright mention are retained.