▁contains ▁several ▁complex ▁security ▁features ▁such ▁as ▁wat erm arks , ▁invisible ▁in k , ▁h olog rams ▁and ▁micro print ing ▁that ▁document ▁its ▁authentic ity . ▁ ▁The ▁full ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁Europa ▁series ▁€ 5 0 ▁bank note ▁was ▁revealed ▁on ▁ 5 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁The ▁new ▁ 5 0 ▁note ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁ 4 ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁euro ▁was ▁founded ▁on ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁currency ▁of ▁over ▁ 3 0 0 ▁million ▁people ▁in ▁Europe . ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁years ▁of ▁its ▁existence ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁invisible ▁currency , ▁only ▁used ▁in ▁account ing . ▁Euro ▁c ash ▁was ▁not ▁introduced ▁until ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁when ▁it ▁replaced ▁the ▁national ▁bank notes ▁and ▁co ins ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 2 ▁countries ▁in ▁the ▁euro zone , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Dutch ▁gu ilder ▁and ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁esc udo . ▁Today , ▁the ▁€ 5 0 ▁note ▁is ▁used ▁by ▁some ▁ 3 3 2   mill ion ▁Europe ans ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 2 ▁countries ▁which ▁have ▁it ▁as ▁their ▁sole ▁currency ▁( with ▁ 2 0 ▁leg ally ▁adopt ing ▁it ). ▁ ▁Sloven ia ▁joined ▁the ▁Euro zone ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Cy pr us ▁and ▁Mal ta ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Slov ak ia ▁in ▁ 2 0 0