Beethoven versus birds: ECB shortlists designs for new euro banknotes

BRUSSELS — Who would win in a fight between Ludwig van Beethoven and a kingfisher? We’re about to find out. The European Central Bank today unveiled its shortlisted designs for the first revamp of the euro banknotes since they were released in 2002. The public can weigh in on whether it wants to see European historical figures, or rivers and birds, on the currency. The first set of potential banknotes features American-Greek opera singer Maria Callas, German composer Beethoven, French-Polish scientist Marie Curie-Skłodowska, Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci, and Austrian pacifist Bertha von Suttner. The reverse of the notes depicts generic European cultural spaces including libraries, universities and public squares. The ECB said the figures represent “iconic European personalities who have contributed to building Europe’s cultural heritage” whose accomplishments “resonated around the world.” Wildlife fans can instead go for the option featuring rivers and birds, which the ECB says “highlights the resilience and diversity of Europe’s natural ecosystems” to showcase “the importance of nature and environmental protection.” Those note designs feature such combinations as a mountain spring with a wallcreeper, a waterfall with a kingfisher, a confined river valley with bee-eaters, a meandering river with a white stork, a river mouth and an avocet, and a seascape with a Northern gannet. The reverse depicts EU institutional buildings such as the European Parliament and European Commission. In a twist of fate, the eurozone and Britain could both end up with kingfishers on their legal tender, as the Bank of England has also put forward a series of animals for a public vote. The ECB shortlisted ten design proposals which the public can give feedback on until September 21. But the public doesn’t get the final say — the Bank’s governing council is free as a bird to choose the winning design around the end of the year. Never ones to fear bureaucracy, the governing council will take a swathe of information under its wing when making its choice, consulting a technical assessment, the results of two surveys including the public poll, and the conclusions of a design jury. ECB President Christine Lagarde said the designs “combine beauty and meaning” — killing two birds with one stone, you could say — and will “reinforce our shared identity.” “Euro banknotes are more than a means of payment – they are one of the most tangible expressions of Europe,” Lagarde said. Early birds can get their feedback in now.