If you happen to be doing a spot of shopping and splashing the cash over the next few weeks - as most of the country will undoubtedly be doing in a panicked Christmas-shopping frenzy - you may notice a slight difference to the €20 note.

Having previously introduced new €5 and €10 bills, a  new version of the €20 bill - with 'increased security' in the form of a portrait window on the upper right-hand-side of the bill - has been circulated by the European Central Bank.

When held up against the light, it reveals a portrait of Greek mythological figure Europa.

Over 4.3 billion of the new notes have been produced, but if you have a ton of the old ones stuffed into your mattress for safekeeping, don't worry. It'll remain legal tender until it's eventually phased out.

The €50 bill is next in line for a makeover, but that won't be until some time in 2017.

 

via RTE.ie