Euro revealed to its public

Date: 12/12/1996

DUBLIN will be the venue for a single currency milestone, when European Monetary Institute President Alexandre Lamfalussy reveals a secret known only to him and the EU's 15 central bank governors: the design of the seven euro banknotes.

The EMI has already announced the colours of the new notes and that they include either an image from European history or an abstract design, the name 'euro', the signature of the president of the European Central Bank and its initials ECB in six languages, and the emblem of 12 gold stars on a blue background.

Economics Commissioner Yves-Thibault de Silguy will aim to give the euro a personality by adopting a euro symbol equivalent to the $ dollar sign (an E bisected by two parallel bars), which will adorn T-shirts throughout the Irish capital during the summit.