1 January has always been a special day for me. It is the start of a new year, of course, as it is for everyone, but it is also my birthday. And on 1 January 2002, there was another reason to celebrate: it was the day when the euro area, made up of 12 countries at the time, introduced banknotes and coins for the single currency. I spent that day with family and friends in our home in Normandy in France, and shortly before midnight we went to the nearest cash machine, anxious to get hold of our first euro banknotes. Some of my friends predicted that the switch to the new currency would overload the machines and that ... (full story)