I was wondering when someone would mention this. How about the flip sides? I've heard each country will have a different design, like the new quarters here in the States.

Yes thats true. I'm living in The Netherlands and our queen is on the flip side. I didn't scan those because I don't know about the legal stuff. With the notes for instance it is not allowed to scan them without putting some text like specimen in it.

you are right about the flip sides - each country has it's own design.

Over here in germany we have:

1.Bundesadler
2.Brandenburger Tor and

1. Oak Leaf

Ooops - I am doing illegal stuff here? blush

Ehhhh, it's just for educational purposes sneakoutoftheroom

Bring back the white five pound notes. Real money :)

Once british, always british.:) But I've heard that very soon the pound will be exchanged for the euro.:)

Im learning the new coins ,too lol

I thought Britain wasn't going with the Euro ... Waitaminute. They aren't white anymore?

I cant stand that euro crap monopoly money we should have kept the pound sterling imoa cheers dolly

"One world money, One world government, One world religion", says the Antichrist....heheheh...it may be sooner than you think

Hah, they keep trying to change our money in the US, and it doesn't work. I think we've had new "silver dollars" twice over the years....and they just don't catch on. Give me my dirty paper money any day. Of course all the bills look like they have cartoons on them now!

there is one that someone modeled in the Rhino gallery...

I understand that having one exchange rate will make commerce easier. If each state here had it's own money, Americans would probably never do business across statelines. The differece in taxing is bad enough. As for the new look of our money, it goes to show you what happens when people with no artistic taste get into power. That fake gold looking dollar coin is an insult to the memory of Sacajawea ( sorry i have no idea how her name is spelled). Susan B. Anthony dollars became the relic of the post Office stamp machines. Hey is this anothe case of women being given lesser status and getting the stupid jobs? I will miss the pretty european money. All that lovely color.

WE went through our growing pains with money, stamps, etc., much earlier in our history. Remember, during our "colonial times," we didn't even have the United States, and during the Civil War, our country was torn asunder. We haven't been around as long as Europe, but we got a handle on our money much faster.

We haven't been around as long as Europe, but we got a handle on our money much faster Well, uh, if you want to consider Europe as one big country, maybe. Personally, the intro of the Euro made me wonder if theyll have to rewrite that lyric in Cabaret: instead of "a mark, a yen, a buck, or a pound", will it now be "a euro, a yen, a buck, or a euro"? =)

I Denmark we said no to the euro. We stick to kroner and e. Our gouverment hate us for that and I wouldnt be surprised if we have to vote about it again and again untill we say yes :-) Btw Happy new year and thanks for all the help in 2001...last year :-) Sky.

It can be "a euro, a yen, a buck, or a pound", for a while at least, since the UK isn't joining the Euro today (along with Denmark and Sweden). There will be a referendum in this country (probably in 2003/4), once the politicians have done their best to devalue the pound (wrecking the economy in the process) and convince the populace that their sovereignty isn't at stake. Which, of course, it is. So long as the British people listen to the ambitious speeches of the eurocrats and not the lies of their own elected leaders, they'll realise it. Which is a bit ironic... The USA and Canada seem to get along just fine with their different currencies and different political systems. They have close economic interaction, and a long undefended border, but they keep their sovereignty in all respects. I see no problem with a "European Economic Community" based on that kind of thing (it was originally called that), but this "European Union" bollocks is empire building by deluded/ambitious politicos who are playing a mighty dangerous game.

What the f***...I said: last year...he he he...last year for me...but some of you are still in 2001 I can see in the top of the page here...funny...just as confusing as the difference in time... :-)

Skygirl wrote (at the same time as me ;-)): "Our gouverment hate us for that and I wouldnt be surprised if we have to vote about it again and again untill we say yes :-)" Hurrah for the Danes! It is simply outrageous that governments keep people voting on the same issue until they get the 'right' answer (in other words, the vote the government wants). When they ask the people and the people say no, it bloody well means NO!!! They should be constitutionally prevented from asking the same question again for at least ten years. You can be sure if the people had voted 'yes' they would never be asked again. The Irish people voted 'no' to the Nice Treaty (hurrah for the Irish!), which means the Nice Treaty is dead and the whole process of European Integration should have to be reconsidered. The politicians, of course, have simply decided it doesn't matter and are carrying on regardless. You'd think the eurocrats might be a little cautious about riding roughshod over Irish sovereignty...

Bollocks! All this misty eyed jingoism over the pound is nonsense, it's only existed in it's current form for 27 years, before that we had pounds schillings and pence, and such wonderous things as "half a crown" and at various points after we changed from the groat but before we came of the gold standard, the bank of england has even printed and used other countries currencies as legal tender. Compare this to the greeks, who've had the Drachma for 2,500 years, (500 years before the birth of christ...) but gave it up for the Euro, and all this wittering about the pound and loss of sovereignty is shown for the tosh it is. We've been gradually ceeding our much vaunted sovereignty to both the European parliament and other outside influences for years. The latest change came when we implemented the human rights act. Which codified into law things which had been unwritten "common law" since the inception of the country. Many of the new laws provisions change fundamentally the way our laws are enacted, especially employment law. We've also had the European court as the final arbiter of UK law for years, higher even than the house of lords. (the previously unelected upper house of parliament, which the current govermnent is seeking to abolish, at least in it's unelected state.) The UK has never been part of Europe, ("Fog in channel, Europe cut off" an amusing newspaper headline of old :) and has never wanted it to be anything more than a glorified trading system. Well guess what, the really big powers in Europe want it to be a little more powerfull, and a little more homogenous than that. First comes the army (the "rapid response force") then the currency, a coherant legal system of which the Europe wide "arrest warrant" is but the tip of the iceberg, then tax harmonisiation and finally an elected executive legislature. At some point if we're to compete with the American and the Asia-pacific trading blocs, then Europe is going to have to get bigger and have a single voice on trade policy, just like America's states have in the federal government. I doubt the UK people will vote "yes" in a referencdum, and if that happens then I should imagine you can kiss goodbye to a good many imported jobs, because to a business being in Pounds instead of Euros means you're liable to both a currency risk, and the political risk of having the UK governemt adjust economic and fiscal policy for party political ends. Should that happen, then I imagine that the UK will not be long for European parliament, or even Europe itself. There are already some on the fringes of the political right that suggest we ditch Europe and join NAFTA instead. I image that those voices will only grow more strident with a "No" vote behind them. Which ironically will be bad for the UK but good for Europe as a whole. Europe is happening as we speak, I spent my first Euros this morning (on a bus ticket) I preffered Dmarks to be honest, but I imagine that will change in a few weeks once we get used to the new currency and learn to think in it. It will also make trade far more transparent, as you'll be able to compare prices Europe wide, from a Ferrari to a cup of coffee. Just as the Americans do now with the dollar. I don't expect the Brits to wake up and smell the coffee, and proud as I am to be English, I'm awfully glad I don't have to live there any longer, because the last place I lived was in Redditch in the Midlands, where 2 pounds, (Eu 1.20) was a lot of money to most of the inhabitants, and a sobering and depressing experience when you spend more than that on a paper and juice every morning. Sad, sad day. later jb

Bugger! Got my sums wrong, (been happeing all day, this is the problem with having to deal with 3 currencies :) 2 pounds is actually 3.20 later jb

Nice to see another Euro glitch. ;-) Well guess what, the really big powers in Europe want it to be a little more powerfull, and a little more homogenous than that. Exactly, and precisely why the UK should get the hell out. I guess I'm from the 'right fringe' then, since I agree with most of what you say about the 'road ahead' being laid out already, and see it as a rather grim prospect. And I don't have any romantic notions over Pound Sterling at all. I'd love to see the UK pull out of the EU, and rejoin the European Free Trade Association (which it founded); along with Norway and Iceland who are doing very nicely thanks, with all the useful economic contacts with 'Europe' while avoiding all the insane political state building by the Eurocrats. Canada does pretty well in the North American Free Trade Association. It has its own currency and hence its own sovereignty, despite being right next door to the biggest power on Earth. Close trade links and peaceful relations are quite possible without enforced amalgamation or assimilation. Ever since Liz the original woke up (imported the coffee) and realised that England was better off without permanent alliances with anyone in endlessly squabbling Europe (and don't believe for a minute that the French and Germans are done squabbling), these Islands have gone from strength to strength. Union, power, wealth, independence. And now we have the exciting prospect of being a mere region in a country called the European Union. No thanks.

Hi, Well as a man who reads the FT every day, I reckon it would be a grave mistake for the UK not to join the Euro. The Eurozone countries are already dividing up the industries amongst themselves, Germany is getting most of the heavy industry, (cars especially) Itally clothes, France, agriculture, etc. if the UK doesn't get in soon, there won't be much left. The key problem of course is that tax harmonisation would kill a lot of the financial trade in the city of London, which currently accounts for some 60+% (66% I think) of GDP, and loss of that to some pan European exchange would be fairly catastrophic for both London and the country as a whole, which is why the govermnment has been stalling and using the veto whenever possible. Unfortunately this isn't going to help once the pace of integration speeds up over the next few years. I don't think the UK has much of choice about whether or not it enters, not to enter is risking becoming a third world country, a small island on the periphery of Europe, though it's interesting to note that only today a treasury person was quoted as saying the choice of whether or not to enter will be largely political, as the much vaunted "5 tests" are unlikely on thier own to provide an answer one way or another on purely economic grounds. Either way it should be interesting to watch events develop, especially if you have little at stake :) later jb

Attached Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8542,617513,00.html