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CURRENCY

Sweden shows off Garbo, Bergman banknotes

Sweden's Riksbank on Tuesday released the long-awaited designs of new banknotes featuring the likes of Greta Garbo, Ingmar Bergman, Astrid Lindgren, and other cultural giants of the 20th century.

Published: 24 April 2012 14:14 CEST
Sweden shows off Garbo, Bergman banknotes

The notes were designed by Göran Österlund, whose colourful “Journey of Culture” (Kulturresan) design was selected from among eight finalists.

Thursday’s presentation of the new designs by the Riksbank comes a year after the bank first announced the six 20th century Swedish icons whose profiles would grace the new bills.

The face of Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman will adorn the new 200 kronor note, while children’s author Astrid Lindgren will be the new face on the 20 kronor note, replacing the popular Selma Lagerlöf.

Former United Nations secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld will feature on the 1,000 kronor note, opera singer Birgit Nilsson on the 500 kronor, film star Greta Garbo on the 100 kronor, and musician Evert Taube on the 50 kronor note.

Click here to see more images of Sweden’s new banknotes

“It’s been a difficult but stimulating task to pick a winner. All the contestants submitted ambitious and well worked suggestions, but in the end we were captivated by ‘The Cultural Journey’,” said Peter Egardt, a member of the Riksbank board of directors and chair of the banknote design selection jury, in a statement.

“The overall impression is a beautiful and user-friendly series of bills which are built on a well-weighed balance between something new and Swedish banknote tradition.”

Österlund explained that his winning design as was meant to “let the bills take us on a journey from the Öresund Bridge in the south to the Treriksröset in the north,” referencing the “Three Country Cairn” where the borders of Finland, Sweden, and Norway meet.

According to the Riksbank, notes bearing the new design are expected to enter general circulation in 2015.

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CURRENCY

Spanish town brings back the peseta in bid to boost spending

They haven't been legal currency in Spain since 2002 but residents in one town in Valencia can now spend any old pesetas they have hidden away thanks to a scheme aimed at boosting spending during the coronavirus crisis.

Published: 28 October 2020 14:12 CET
Spanish town brings back the peseta in bid to boost spending
Old peseta notes and coins can be exchanged until the end of 2020. Photo: AFP

The Multipaterna Commerce and Services Association has launched a campaign that allows payment to be made with pesetas in certain establishments in Paterna, a town in the Valencian Community.

The campaign, which includes hardware stores, opticians, computer and electronics stores, real estate, florists, lingerie stores and parcel kiosks, will run until December 15th. 

For the rest of Spain those who still have the old currency there is still a few months left to convert them into euros, although they can’t spend them in shops.

Spaniards have been told that they have until December 31st 2020  to exchange their pesetas for euros and that applies for both bank notes and coins.

Any notes produced during the Franco era, which ran from the end of the Civil War in 1939 until the dictator's death in 1975 can be automatically changed by the Bank of Spain.

Those issued during the conflict can also be exchanged but the process will involve them being analysed by experts to confirm their authenticity.

And any coins still in circulation at the time that euros were brought in on New Year's Day in 2002 can also be exchanged at Bank of Spain headquarters in Madrid.

The exchange rate offered  by the Bank of Spain is 1 euro = 166,386 pesetas but the bank advised that commemorative coins and notes may be worth more as collectors' items than for their face value, which is all that will be offered in the exchange scheme.

The Bank of Spain estimates that pesetas worth some €1.61 billion are squirreled away in Spanish homes, cluttering up the drawers of old desks and trunks in dusty old attics.

Many will never see the light of the day and others have become collectors' items now worth more than their exchangeable value.

Spain adopted the Euro at the start of 2002 but pesetas were still legal currency during a transition period that lasted the first three months of that year.

Exchanges can be made in person at the Banco España building on Madrid's Calle Alcala or via a postal or online service, even available to those abroad.  For more information check out the official webpage of the Banco España HERE. 

By Conor Patrick Faulkner in Valencia

 

 

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