 The next time you go to a cash machine, you might notice that the new 50 is now officially in circulation. But how did it actually happen, from artistry to technology and modern production? Let's have a look at how it all started. Refreshing the Euro banknotes means starting at the design phase, but technical work also needs to be done to make those designs printable. Banknote experts at the European Central Bank inspect early blueprints in order to check the position of the new security features. The blueprints and designs then have to be brought to life in the production phase. Banknote paper is made of cotton and made to be durable, and it has a unique feel. It has to be much more resistant to wear and tear than regular paper. Some security features, such as the watermark, the security thread and the hologram, are embedded in the paper at the paper mill. From this moment on, even unprinted banknote paper is subject to strict security measures. The paper is sent onto the printing works where it goes through seven different printing and finishing stages. The notes then undergo a series of tough tests. Once they are issued, they have to withstand being folded, crumpled, rubbed, exposed to sunlight and, of course, being passed from hand to hand every day. Freshly printed 50 Euro notes are then packaged and stored securely before being shipped across Europe and beyond. They travel by road, air and sea, escorted by security teams who protect the notes until they reach their destination. The new fifties are then put into hundreds of thousands of cash machines, ready for the next phase of their journey.