A new EUR 20 bank note entered into circulation on Wednesday, the European Central Bank announced.

The new note is more resistant to counterfeiting and includes a new kind of security feature: a “portrait window” near the top of the hologram stripe, which becomes transparent when seen against the light.

A portrait of Europa, a figure from Greek mythology, can be seen in the window on both sides of the note, the ECB said.

The new note, 4.3 billion of which have been printed so far, will gradually replace the EUR 20 banknotes of the first series, which will however remain legal tender.

It is the third banknote of the Europa series and follows the new EUR 5 and EUR 10 notes. The other denominations will be introduced gradually over several years.