Recently read an article in a Mexican business magazine where they mention that the 500 euro bill is the darling of the Italian mafia.  The simple reason is that while transporting a million dollars in 100 dollar bills cash would need a portfolio or bag weighing up to 10 kg (as previously seen in Hollywood), a million dollars in 500 euro bills would be much more easily concealed and weigh less than 2 kg. No wonder they are starting to find these in seizures in Mexico, Costa Rica and Russia.

I mean, I have never seen even the 100 Euro bill being used normally in the street, much less the 200 or 500.  Given that the larger the denomination the larger the bill, 500 Euro are pretty much a purple papyrus 😛