In the first half of 2021, the Bundesbank recorded approximately 21,400 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €1 million. This represents a decline of 13% compared with the second half of 2020. This is due to the coronavirus restrictions, said Bundesbank Executive Board member Johannes Beermann.

The Bundesbank registered approximately 58,800 counterfeit euro banknotes in 2020 with a nominal value of €2.9 million, with mostly €10 and €20 banknotes being counterfeited.

Münzen können von Bargeldgeschäftspartnern seit 2015 nur noch in Normcontainern bei uns eingezahlt werden.

In the first half of 2022, around 19,800 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of just under €1 million were withdrawn from circulation in Germany. The number of counterfeits fell by 3.9% compared with the second half of 2021. This equates to five counterfeit banknotes per 10,000 inhabitants.

Pictures and information on the national sides of the coins in circulation in Andorra.

The branches of the Bundesbank supply the economy with euro banknotes and coins, and offers private customers the opportunity to exchange D-Mark banknotes and coins free-of-charge and with no fixed deadline.

Pictures and information on the national sides of the coins in circulation in San Marino.

Bundesbank-Vorstand Burkhard Balz warnt vor einer schleichenden Erosion der Bargeld-Infrastruktur in Deutschland und erklärt, welche Rolle Scheine und Münzen künftig noch spielen werden.

Pictures and information on the national sides of the coins in circulation in Monaco.

In the first half of 2020, the Bundesbank recorded approximately 34,000 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €1.6 million. Although this means that the number of counterfeits rose significantly on the year, their volume remained low overall.

In 2021, the Bundesbank registered approximately 42,000 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €1.9 million in German payments. The number of counterfeits thus fell by 28.6% on the year, and the nominal value of the banknotes seized decreased by 34.5%. 

It’s no secret that Germany loves cash. However, the pandemic and the new focus on hygiene showed that even in the Federal Republic, cashless payments can also be interesting for payments of less than €10. In Germany, just over 50 % of all payments are currently still settled using cash. In a few years’ time, it should also be possible to pay with the digital euro. Burkhard Balz, Executive Board member at the Deutsche Bundesbank, is jointly responsible for the digital currency project. On the fringes of the Ludwig-Erhard summit, he revealed in an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau what can be expected and why cash lovers actually have reason to be cheerful.

The branches of the Bundesbank supply the economy with euro banknotes and coins, and offers private customers the opportunity to exchange D-Mark banknotes and coins free-of-charge and with no fixed deadline.

The Bundesbank registered approximately 55,200 counterfeit euro banknotes with a value of €3.3 million in 2019, representing a 5% decrease on the year.

In 2018, the Bundesbank identified approximately 58,000 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €3.4 million, representing a 20% decrease on the previous year.

Die Europäische Kommission hat heute ihren Gesetzgebungsvorschlag zu einem digitalen Euro veröffentlicht. Ein digitaler Euro wäre so wie gegenwärtig Banknoten und Münzen ein universelles Zahlungsmittel im gesamten Eurogebiet. Mit dem vorgeschlagenen Status als gesetzliches Zahlungsmittel wäre sichergestellt, dass er auf breite Akzeptanz als Zahlungsinstrument stieße.

In the first half of 2019, the Bundesbank recorded approximately 27,600 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €1.6 million. Thus, although the incidence of counterfeiting was up compared to the second half of 2018, it is still low overall.

In the first half of 2018, the Bundesbank registered approximately 31,100 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €1.8 million – 6.2% fewer than in the previous six months. The most frequently counterfeited denomination was the €50 banknote.

In the first half of 2017, the Bundesbank registered around 39,700 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €2.2 million – 8.7% more than in the second half of 2016. The most frequently counterfeited denomination was the €50 banknote.

Croatia is introducing euro cash on 1 January 2023, making it the 20th Member State of the euro area. Croatian kuna banknotes can be exchanged for euro free of charge at all Bundesbank branches between 1 January and 28 February 2023. Croatia’s accession to the euro area will change the composition of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the ECB’s capital, as well as the capital key used to calculate it.

In 2020, the Bundesbank registered approximately 58,800 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €2.9 million in German payments. The number of counterfeits thus rose by 6.5% on the year, while the nominal value of the banknotes seized fell by 14.3%.

The German government has decided to mint a €10 collectors’ coin entitled “Police”, to be issued on 25 April 2024.