What were the original 12 countries to use the Euro first?

The original 12 countries that adopted the Euro as their official currency in 1999 were Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. These nations formed the Eurozone, which aimed to enhance economic stability and integration within the European Union. The physical Euro banknotes and coins were introduced later, in 2002.