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CNN Live At Daybreak

Euro Kickoff Tonight

Aired December 31, 2001 - 06:42   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.
TOM HAYNES, CNN ANCHOR: And CNN's Richard Quest is in Frankfurt, Germany this morning, where there's going to be a big kickoff for the euro in about 11 hours. So do people already have the money in their pockets?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that lady in that package by Jim Bittermann was saying, "You've got to touch the money; you've got to feel it." Here you are, Tom, touch it, feel it. This is what it looks like. These are the euro coins that have been handed out or bought by various starter kits, which we've been able to -- you can't spend it, so it's pretty much like Monopoly money at the moment.

At midnight tonight this becomes the real thing, and this is what the 50 euro note looks like. It's about $40, $42 in all. And you can't spend this either, because this one's encased in plastic. We've got to wait 11 hours before we can get the real McCoy out of machines, but in just a few hours, this will be what they say einser geld (ph), our money. The euro will be in operation across the 12 countries that have become part of the euro zone.

From Finland in the north, through the Netherlands, through Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria. I'm sure I've forgotten someone. Oh, yeah, Ireland. It's only Britain, Denmark and Sweden that have stayed out for political reasons. And this is the sort of -- the scene of the crime, if you like. This is the European Central Bank. This is where the money will actually be controlled from -- Tom.

HAYNES: All right. Richard Quest in Frankfurt, Germany. Thanks a lot for that report this morning.

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