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American Morning

Euro Currency to Debut in Germany

Aired August 30, 2001 - 09:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: About four months from now, the European Union is going to switch over to its new currency, the euro. Today, the new money made its debut in Germany.

And CNN's Richard Quest joins us now live from Frankfurt. Last time I saw Richard, you had a whole handful it of it.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There you are. I've a bit more, I've got tons of it. But look, I've got a job that you wouldn't want to the do. Because -- a bit more money for you.

None of this would help -- would pay you to do what I am going to show you now, because in the next 10 minutes, nine or 10 men are going to abseil down the European Central Bank tower. It's just -- you can see them now. They are awaiting at the top of this 40-story plus skyscraper in the heart of Europe's financial capital. They are going to abseil down the building, and stip off a blue ribbon that's round the bottom part of the bank. That will reveal to us all the look of the new note and coins.

All morning we've been hearing from the European Central Bank some ideas about the new currency, the various security features. For instance, we're supposed to feel the new notes. To feel the raised -- to feel the raised printing. We're supposed to look at them to see the water marks. And we're supposed to tilt the new currency to see the holograms.

Now, if I take out one of these -- this is Belgium franks. Well, there's nothing raised on that. There's a bit of an old water mark, and there's an old hologram. But the new currency apparently will have much more of that, and those guys abseiling down will show it all to us in about five minutes' time. Would you like to do that?

HARRIS: No, Richard. You don't have enough euros. They don't make enough euros to make a guy like me come down a building like that. Well listen, we'll check back with you later on. We want to see what that looks like when it comes off.

Richard Quest standing by live in Frankfurt. Thanks very much.

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