BERLIN -- Here in Europe, it's hard to avoid a steady buzz of controversy over the arrival of the euro as official currency on Jan. 1, 2002. Experts are worried that people are going to take advantage of changeover confusion and produce counterfeit notes.
And, yes, they will!
Just ask Bob Bednar, an American currency expert who is marking the big New Year's Day currency conversion with a counterfeit note to top all counterfeit notes.
It's a 1-million Euro note, rife with security features and yes, as a matter of fact, Bednar has generously offered to ship several to interested members of the media.
"I've been able to come up with a design that I feel should commemorate the issuance of the euro," Bednar said in a phone interview. "I made it 1-million euro notes, because nobody is going to think there's a 1-million euro note."
Bednar, CEO of Naples (Florida) Bank Note Company, does not in any way make light of the potential for trouble in Europe. Concerns are so high, the euro notes will not be available until Jan. 1, 2002, even though so-called starter kits of euro coins have turned out to be a hit with the public. Both national currencies and euros will be in circulation during a transition period lasting into February.
"For amateur copies, the most dangerous period is during the dual circulation period," Willy Bruggeman, deputy director of Europol, told the Associated Press. "We expect that we will see some amateurs try to test the system."
Thursday afternoon, the BBC reported that the euro transition could be made even more chaotic than anticipated by a threatened postal service worker strike in France, called for Jan. 2.
"Even though postal workers will be on the front line of the introduction of the euro, La Poste chooses not to give its personnel the means to provide its essential services to the population. It's scandalous," read a statement from the CGT union cited by the BBC.
"I am shocked for the reputation of France abroad because France was one of the pioneers of the single currency," Jacques Delors, former European Commission president, told the network.
The potential for such confusion and controversy has much to do with the impulse behind Bednar's million-euro creation. He wants to encourage people to feel good about the changeover.
He specializes in what he calls banknote art, a concept that probably makes a certain kind of postmodern sense. As his website explains, the idea is "unique, imaginative banknote designs resembling real currency" to commemorate events, places or people.
So, for example, one note says "Thanks a million" to firefighters and shows a fellow with an appropriately bushy mustache and full complement of fire-fighting gear gazing solemnly ahead. Another commemorates the late NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, whose death last February at the Daytona 500 was widely mourned.
If a euro commemorative might not sound like it fits in that company, Bednar figures the historical context of the changeover ought to take care of that.
Also, of course, Americans figure to be interested in the advent of the euro because it will make traveling to Europe much, much easier; no more carrying five different currencies in your wallet.
"For a century, you've had the Italian lira, the German mark, the Dutch guilder and so on," Bednar said. "All these countries have had currencies that have historical references to their country. Now all of a sudden, within five or six weeks they are going to be pulling these things off the market and people are going to have this nondescript euro.
"There's going to be no reference to any historical event in any particular country. Basically it's drab and dull. You think the U.S. greenback is dull? Wait until you see these babies."
The dominant motif on the new euro notes is images of ancient aqueducts. They are supposed to be generic enough; no single country can be said to be represented.
But it turns out that at least one of the euro aqueducts bears an uncanny resemblance to an actual aqueduct in a certain Southern European country that won't be mentioned the interests of promoting European harmony.
