GraffitEuro

GraffitEuro collects all forms of graffiti on Euro banknotes.

Graffiti

Graffiti (singular: graffito; the plural is used as a mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or any form of marking on property that does not belong to the artist. Graffiti is often regarded by others as unsightly damage or unwanted vandalism.

Graffiti has existed since ancient times, with examples going back to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Graffiti can be anything from simple scratch marks to elaborate wall paintings. In modern times, spray paint and markers have become the most commonly used materials. In most countries, defacing property with graffiti without the property owner's consent is considered vandalism, which is punishable by law. Sometimes graffiti is employed to communicate social and political messages. To some, it is an art form worthy of display in galleries and exhibitions. However, the public generally frowns upon "tags" that deface bus stops, trains, buildings, playgrounds and other public property.

Euro banknotes

The Euro

The euro (EUR or €) is the single currency for the European Union and currently 13 of its member states. The euro was formally established as a unit of exchange on 1 January 1999, and euro banknotes and coins (see euro coins) entered circulation in 12 member states on 1 January 2002. On 1 January 2007 Slovenia, a state that joined the EU in May 2004, became the 13th state to join the euro area. The remaining EU states with the exception of the United Kingdom and Denmark are required to adopt the euro after meeting the necessary economic conditions to enter the eurozone.

The Euro banknotes

There are seven different denominations, each having a distinctive colour and size. The design for each of them has a common theme of European architecture in various artistic periods. The front (or recto) of the note features windows or gateways while the back (or verso) has bridges. Care has been taken so that the architectural examples do not represent any actual existing monument, so as not to induce jealousy and controversy in the choice of which monument should be depicted