0-euro notes : 1 a. Belgium : beers

First thing that pops in someones mind if you mention Belgium, will probably be beer and (french) fries. And yes, they are Belgian and not French!

Anyhow, Belgian beers are known, appreciated and drunk world wide.
Reasons enough to dedicate a 0-euro note to this world cultural heritage.

0-euro Belgium ZEAD

In the central image, we see a wooden barrel with some beers.

0-euro Belgium ZEAD - detail

A nice image, although beers nowaday is brewed in copper or other metal kettles. On the left we see hop cones, barly, wheat, ... and on the right, some beer in diffente glasses. Yes beer is supposed to be drunk from glasses!

The note has a serial number with: ZE (Belgium) AD (AD-design) and 6 digits. The year is 2018-1 and the note was printed on 5,000 copies.

1. ZE (Belgium)
2. AD (type or design for that specific year)
3. serial number (6 digits)

The back side is design C.

more to follow...

0-euro notes : 0 d. Introduction

Some extra remarks on the serial numbers:

Austria has Euro notes starting with N. The 0-euro notes therefore also start with NE.
In 2017 a 0-euro note was emitted with XELH.... X is the letter for Germany

From 2018 on, new notes get a serial number with a logic sequence, for example Finand: L(E)...
Notes start with LE AA, LE AB, LE AC, ...
I's and O's are not used to avoid confusion with 1's and 0's, so it goes from LE AH to LE AJ and from LE AN to LE AP.
This is often the case, for example Mexican  notes don't have I's and O's in serial numbers either.

Before 2018, Seral numbers start with rather random codes (Finland 2017 : LE PZ...)

Most notes were printed on 5,000 or 10,000 copies.
In few exceptions, there are less, sometimes there are 20,000 30,000 or even 35,000 copies.
If a design is reprinted, the date will show 2019 - 2 (second printing).
Some French notes were reprinted 6 times so far.

In some cases the numbering adds up, despites the fact that the design is not the same.
One example is a set of notes issued by the Zoo of Duisburg (Germany).
The title of each note is : ZOO DUISBURG, therfore the numbering adds up (since the depicted theme remains the same), on the note however, we see different animals on the different notes in the set.

Zoo Duisbrug 2017 - 3

Zoo Duisbrug 2017 - 4

Zoo Duisburg 2017 - 5

Another remark goes for some special sets, like the set that was issued for the Wold Soccer championship in 2018.
Several counties which participated at the Soccer Worl Cup, issued a 0-euro note.
In the titel we see the country name (so each note has a different 'title)' and a different image of a player and a typical artefact from the home country.
The code next to the flag adds up :

2018 - 7 - DK

2018 - 8 - JP

2018 - 31 - TN

This is a special edition of the 0-euro note.

To be complete, some notes were also issued on polymere paper.
These are issued in different amounts (2017 copies) and all have a serial number starting with UE ...CO... regardless the country.

Polymere note : marked 'collector 2017'

serial numbers UE ... CO ......

And finally, some blank or perforated notes exist too.
These notes are issued with 'specimen' as perforation, and don't bare an image at the front side.

To be continued...

0-euro notes : 0 c. Introduction

As last part of my 'introduction' to 0-euro notes, I can show you the 2018 catalog of those notes.

The 1st edition of the catalogue was issued in 2018, and has over 400 pages in colour.
Each note has a description of what is depicted, serial number and issue number is mentioned, and explained.

The catalogue 'value' of each note is an indication of the rarity and the demand on the market for each note.
A 2019 issue of a Turkish 0-euro note with the image of Kemal Attatürk and his mausoleum, was sold out so fast, that prices reach up to € 60 - € 70 per copy!
Luckily, most notes are available for € 3 / € 4 / € 5 each (3.5 - 5.5 USD)

A list of 0-euro issuing countries (situation end 2019) :

to be continued...

0-euro notes : 0 b. Introduction

Similar to Euro coins, each 0-euro note has a common size, which is common for all notes:

On the 2015 (first) notes, only French buildings were depicted, as only French subject were on the front of each note.

2015 version (French buildings only)

Here we find also the Eiffel tower ....
Pont du Gard (close to Nîmes, Uzès and Avignon) - oldest bridge of France (1st century A.D.)
Mont Saint Michel (Bretagne)
Cathedral of Reims (Reims)

In 2016, the notes were issued in other countries and the design became 'European'

2016 version (European buildings)

It depicts several famous European buildings - how many of them can you recognise and where are they located?

Big Ben (London - United Kingdom)
Brandenbruger Tor (Berlin - Germany)
Collosseum (Rome - Italy)
Eiffel Tower (Paris - France)
Sagrada Familia (Barcelona - Spain)
Manneke Pis statue (Brussels - Belgium)
Mona Lisa (Italy / Louvre Paris France)

Finally in 2017 - because of the Brexit, the design was renewed, and the Big Ben was replaced by another monument ...
Belém Tower (Lissabon - Portugal)

2017 and later version (European buildings)

Besides the 3 different designs at the back of the notes (design A, B and C)
There is also a small difference on the front of the designs :

Design A has extra marks on the border of the note.The notes have a minimum issue of 5,000 copies each, but mostly printed in 10,000 copies.

Some subject were/are so popular, that the topics are reprinted the next year.
On the front of the notes, we find the year of issue, followed by the number of the issue.
Same designs that are repeated, get a '2' or '3' (or higher) behind the year.
A '1' means there is only one version, or this note is the first issued version.

2017 issue - version 1

2018 issue - version 2

2017 issue - version 3

The 0-Euro note of Napoléon I, exists in 3 printings, with 3 different reverse sides.

On the front, the topics started with historical building, famous events or people, but was soon commerialised, and theme parks, cultural heritage, rulers, and even private events were chosen.
You can have your own notes printed, but there is a minimum of 5,000 copies, which will cost you between 5,000 and 10,000 euro (design not included)...
In return you'll get your own 'banknotes', worth at least ... 0 Euro.

to be continued ...

0-euro notes : 0 a. Introduction

Although postal services do their utmost to innovate and deliver high quality stamps (with lots of extra's), snail mail is not that cool anymore.
Stamp collecting - unfortunately - isn't florishing among youngsters and starting up a collection is not easy. Year sets nowadays cost a fortune, and only the patient ones (or the rich) can afford a complete collection.

Banknotes and coins are as interesting to collect, but with electronic payment methods, even  'cash money' is dissapearing from daily life. When Europe switched to Euro-currency, all national currencies dissapeared and along with it, also the wide variety in banknotes and coins.
Luckily the 2-euro coins opened a new range of collecting possibilities;

Since 2015 a new collectors' item has seen daylight.

What started as a way to promote touristic locations in France, soon became a new way to attract collectors and touristic sites. The 0-euro banknote was born.
Face value is ... 0, a piece of paper that promotes a touristic site or event, such as the Eiffel tower, the Pisa tower, the Sagrada Familia ....

These collective notes with themes from all over Europe are often made in a limited edition (5.000 or 10.000). The notes are printed at the official Euro bank note printers and contain all the usual elements and security features of the euro notes.
The designer of the original Euro notes is also the man behind the 0-euro notes, the Austrian designer Robert Kalina.

Robert Kalina - picture ECB

Every year, new sites are added, new countries are joining, and even previous issues are being re-issued.
Before I go deeper into some specific notes, a small overview of returning items on each note.

Nearly each note has a European flag in the design.
Those notes are printed in Europe (even those from China, Canada, USA ...)

0 euro note France

0 euro note Vatican city

0 euro note USA

 One exception ... the 0-euro notes printed in Switzerland have a Swiss flag.

Since the notes are printed by the official banknote printers, they bare the same serial number system as the euro notes.
see my previous post : https://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/2012/08/banknotes-security-marks-2b-part-2.html

U : France

S : Italy (here Vatican City)

For countries outside the Euro-zone, another land code is used :

Swiss serial number (CH ...)

Chinese serial number (CN ...)

Peru serial number (PR ...)

to be continued...

Don't cry for Argentina - 03 i National Heroes - Series III : all variations - remarks

Some remarks :

On the 1.04 variation:
The main characteristics of this variation, is the hook at the top of the right end of the U-shape, and the " ~ " in the N of Argentinos.
There are some other particular 'errors' that might be accidental errors or variations, or might occur on more stamps of the same variety...

On the 1.06 variation:

The two oval marks, made me conclude that the next stamp is a 1.06 variation.
Many variations have interrupted lines on these two specific places, but only 1.06 has both.

There were other imperfections, which drew my attention, but that are not specified in the catalogue.

Probably some minor or accidental irregularities, but worth enough to compare to other stamps with the same variation.

The inner oval is clearly interrupted on several places in front and below the main image.
I noticed also two white spots in the middle and inner oval, at the hight of the TIN of Argentionos.

On the 1.07 variation:
On this variation, there is the interrupted inner oval that looks like "---___---" left of the image, and the dot in the 1 of the right 1/2.

More oddities can be found on this particular stamp, and it is worth looking for the same anomalities on similar stamps.

The decoration on the top has an interrupted bottom line, which looks like a white dot.
More striking is the thickened collar in the neck, a smal line in the U-shape and the missing frame line under the image.

On the 2.08 variation:
Next to the obvious irregular line at the bottom corner (right), I also found several  irregularities on the same stamp.

Some of the irregularities can be accidental, or do not occur on all stamps from this variation.
However, I find it interesting to mention also these extra 'marks', and will follow up in case I have more copies of the same variation.

Probably more to follow...

Don't cry for Argentina - 03 h National Heroes - Series III : all variations

In my previous posts, I have uplisted all variations know from plates I, II A/B and III A/B/C of the 1/2 centavo stamp.

Now facing some of those stamps, it looks like impossible to find out which variation(s) you might have. If you happen to have variation 3.10, and you are looking to each charateristic, starting from 1.01 on... you'll be busy for quite a long time.

so let's try a different approach

All variations concentrate around 7 areas + 1 rest group.
These areas are :
1. the n-arch, 3 parallel lines, forming an arch on the upper part of the image
2. the u-arch, 2 parallel lines, forming an U under the image
3. the text : CORREOS
4. the text : ARGENTINOS
5. the text : MEDIO
6. the text : CENTAVO
7. the 1/2 left or right at the top
8. the rest group

in detail :(error types refer to previous posts: 1.00 is first printing, 2.00 second and 3.00 third)
1. the n-arch :

2. the U-arch :

3. the text : CORREOS

4. the text ARGENTINOS

5- 6. the text MEDIO and CENTAVO

7. the 1/2 left and right

8. the rest group

So far for the 1/2 centavo stamp...