WOW - Traveling in Europe is going to be a lot easier...

"The seven different denominations of banknote will become legal tender on January 1, 2002.

On that date more than 14 billion banknotes and 50 billion coins will be used in currency among 12 member states of the European Union -- Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Holland, Portugal and Spain.

Two months later, on March 1, traditional currencies such as the franc, the mark, the lire and the peseta will cease to be legal tender and be abolished."