New 20 euro notes enter circulation on Wednesday

New 20-euro notes will be available in Luxembourg from Wednesday with the notes promising improved safety features.

The new note boasts the latest in banking technology, meaning it will be even harder to forge. The new note will circulate alongside the old one, which will be phased out of circulation as they get worn out.

The European Central Bank launched the five-euro note in May 2013 and the 10-euro note in September 2014.

Tactile ink that you can feel in lines on the left and right hand sides of the note.

The note has has an additional security feature known as the portrait window. These include a special paper with raised print, a portrait window and security thread, a silver stripe that reveals a portrait of Europa, and an emerald number that reflects light. In total, there were 18.1 billion banknotes in circulation with a face value of €1,053.8 billion.

They join the original €20 banknotes, which remain legal tender and will be gradually withdrawn from circulation.

New versions of the €50, €100, €200 and €500 notes will also be issued in time.