You're mixing a few things up. Euro coins are also legal tender, but minting and designing them is a national competence. The ECB decides on the volume though,

You're mixing a few things up. Euro coins are also legal tender, but minting and designing them is a national competence. The ECB decides on the volume though, and there are limits to the designs of the coins. Interestingly, member states have to inform the European Commission of the design, but not the ECB. Source: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/coins/html/index.en.html https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/coins/html/index.en.html Legal tender as a concept is also usually not that useful. It's perfectly legal for a shop to refuse certain coins and bills. Dutch shops commonly refuse 1 and 2 cents coins (rounding the amount to 5 cents for cash payments), as well as large denominations out of safety concerns. 100€, 200€ and 500€ are very rare as a consequence. Source (in Dutch): https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/geldzaken/vraag-en-antwoord/kan-ik-met-een-wettig-betaalmiddel-overal-betalen https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/geldzaken/vraag-en-...