The Zero Euro banknote is an unusual type of souvenir. It is printed by the authorization of European Central Bank on the original euro banknote paper. Richard Faille is the father of the concept. He created the French currency souvenirs first, and then in 2015, decided to produce euro banknotes to promote tourism.
The 0 Euro Notes has many features of a real euro banknote. However, they are marked as “0”. This means its nominal value is zero. Front side of all the Zero Euro banknotes is same, but the back-side features different motif designs.
How did it start?
The first note to do well amongst the collectors was basically a result of a printing mistake. Known as the ‘6 SARLAT geese’ in a collector’s term, was expected to have 3 geese.
However, since it did not, the customer returned the entire order, except for the first bundle of thousand notes, as it was opened and couldn’t be returned.
These misprinted banknotes were sold at €5 each by a tourist site. Today, the estimated price of these notes is between €170 and €190.
France souvenir banknote
The Arc de triumphed is one of the must have banknotes for any collector. It was one of the first in the collection, as well as the rarest.
Released in summer of 2015, these notes were mostly purchased by foreign tourists, and thus very few remained on the French market. The last 4 sales recorded in 2018, on eBay France was priced between €179 and €200.
A tragic event marked the collection in 2015
In 2015, Marine land Park issued some euro souvenir banknotes. It was made available via a vending machine at the park. However, in October 2015, the park was destroyed in floods, and so was the vending machine dedicated to euro souvenir banknotes.
There was no record left as to how many notes were sold before the disaster. These rare banknotes are now sold for about €55.
German souvenir banknotes
Tourist banknotes hit the market in Germany from 2016. Many notes were issued, but the record holder was the banknote of the DUISBOURG stadium. It was priced at €800 to €900.
In a private sale that took place in July 2018, the note was sold for more than €1,000. As a matter of fact, it is one of the most demanded notes for now.
The price of a complete collection
The complete collection of 2015 is estimated between €500 and €600. This even includes the error banknote – “SARLAT 6 geese”. However, the 2016 collection is pricier, especially if it includes the DUISBOURG stadium banknote.
With the DUISBOURG stadium banknote, the collection is estimated to be around €1,200. However, excluding it, you can expect to get the collection between €600 and €750.
The prices for these souvenir banknotes keep on changing as per the demand. However, if you are planning to take a Europe tour anytime soon, don’t pass the idea of buying a souvenir banknote. It is after all, not only a souvenir, but a collection which you can sell for a better price in future.
