Euro cash arrived in 12 countries
collage of first-series and Europa-series denominations, photographed by Bericht, Wikimedia Commons; released CC0 1.0. Banknote reproduction use is subject to ECB conditions; collage is visibly multiple notes and is not usable as legal tender. No edits. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:All_Euro_banknotes.png
On 1 January 2002, euro banknotes and coins entered circulation in 12 countries. The common currency had existed in electronic and financial transactions since 1999, so in 2002 people began using it as cash. At the end of 2002, the European Central Bank described the euro as the world’s second most widely used international currency after the US dollar; this refers to its international use, not to a single ranking of all currencies by one measure.