In the protocol, designer Reinhold Gerstetter tells us what you have to consider when designing banknotes, why you can not fake money one to one - and why he does not rate bills from other countries.
"It all started with stamps, and in 1978 I started working as a chief designer at Bundesdruckerei - where I was first responsible for designing stamps - for security reasons they had to be printed on a special piece of paper - not exactly like banknotes - but because I knew my way around, I was eventually asked for bills.
Since then, I have participated in many tenders in numerous countries and designed a variety of currencies: the last series of the D-Mark, banknotes in Spain, Bolivia, Peru or Estonia - and the new Euro Series.
Although more than 340 million Europeans hold my notes daily, hardly anyone knows that I am responsible for the current series. In China, that's different: I designed bills there and was honored by experts - some even wanted an autograph.
Anyone who wants to spend money has to be familiar with design, graphics and backup techniques. The latter is very tricky: both machines and citizens must be able to recognize whether a bill is forged. Backup techniques are changing so fast because the demands on them are steadily increasing. To get some knowledge of it, I visit security companies and institutes again and again.
For me, a bill is more than just the number
Nevertheless, I am convinced that there are no banknotes around the world that you can fake one to one - completely identical, that's just not possible. That's why I'm also very skeptical of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Because for me, a bill is more than just the number that stands on it - but also a hedge: What you hold in your hand, you can not take.
In 1989, I first designed the D-Mark, later, the Spanish peseta that I had designed came out. In Spain, I then exchanged my money for my money, that was a nice feeling. But basically it's work to make bills: Whoever designs a currency for a foreign country must understand the mentality and the zeitgeist. Accordingly, I will be rolling books about the history and heroes of the country, developing my own philosophy - and at the same time sticking to the requirements of the respective banks. I am sure that I perceive my money quite differently than someone who buys bread from it.
At the time, the condition for the new Euroseries was that the bills must become more technologically modern, but the old elements still remain recognizable. The reason: one did not want the Europeans to have something completely foreign on their banknotes. That was bad, because the philosophy of the first series I liked only conditionally. Although this window and bridge design fits wonderfully with Europe, it bothers me that the bridges do not exist, they are fantasy products. People want to identify with what they see.
I would have preferred to have completely redesigned the series: There are so many Europeans from very different areas and countries. Artists, philosophers, athletes or politicians - they could all have shown. But I did not find much enthusiasm among the bankers of the European Central Bank. They would rather have the bills in such a way that in the end no country feels disadvantaged.
Bills should look friendlier
In the second row I tried to compensate for a few weaknesses of the first one. I colored the bills to make them look friendlier. The steel engraving elements I have given more depth, the guilloches, fine lines on the banknotes, are now more dominant to recognize.
It was also important to me to see the Euro from Greek mythology on the euro notes: now it is on every bill, in the watermarks and on a strip on the front and back. I actually wanted to bring in Zeus, but unfortunately the idea was rejected. Nevertheless, I hope that my bills contribute to the fact that in the third series instead of bridges finally big Europeans are depicted. For example, a Pablo Picasso or Paul Peter Rubens - but that can be decided by historians.
When I design a bill, I mainly listen to my gut feeling. You always have to be lucky that people like it. Color is important to me, a certain friendliness - and yet you must not exaggerate. Money has to radiate character, look honest and reputable - not cheesy.
When I travel to other countries and see the money there, I try not to rate it. That would not be fair either, because I do not know what requirements have been placed on the designers. For small currencies they are usually allowed to decide a lot themselves, in larger countries this is not always the case.
When I saw the current dollar bills a few years ago, I was terribly disappointed. Later, I talked to the designer: He had to discuss his ideas with many people, and of course everyone had different ideas. It's hard to compromise as a designer with your own ideas. "