Confidence in a currency is rooted in cash. In Germany, it is the Bundesbank’s task to provide an adequate supply of high-quality euro banknotes and coins at all times. The Bundesbank provides retailers and banks with cash, withdraws counterfeit money from circulation and replaces damaged coins and banknotes.

In 2024, the Bundesbank registered approximately 72,400 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €4.5 million in German payments. The number of counterfeits was thus up by 28% on the year. 

Fight against euro counterfeiting in North Macedonia and strengthening overall central banking business in Belarus are at the focus of the current twinning and twinning light projects.

The Bundesbank registered roughly 72,400 counterfeit euro banknotes in German payments in 2024. Thus, the number of counterfeits was up by 28 % compared with the previous year. At the same time, however, the loss arising from counterfeiting went down. Overall, the incidence of counterfeit money remains moderate in scale: statistically speaking, in 2024 there were nine counterfeit banknotes per 10,000 inhabitants, said Burkhard Balz, member of the Bundesbank’s Executive Board.

The denominations of euro banknotes embody the shared theme of "Ages and styles of Europe" and represent the architectural styles of seven periods of European cultural history. They have been legal tender in all of the participating European Union member states since 1 January 2002. In addition, the physical appearance of euro banknotes is identical throughout the euro area. The European Central Bank and the national central banks of the Eurosystem began rolling out a second series of euro banknotes in May 2013.

The following text provides an overview of the regulations regarding the reproduction of banknotes and coins.

The Bundesbank plays a pivotal role in the cash cycle. It issues new banknotes and coins, as well as removing unfit banknotes and coins from circulation.

In the period from January to June 2024, the Bundesbank removed significantly more counterfeit money from circulation in Germany than in the six months prior, detecting around 38,600 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €2.4 million. This was 29% more than in the second half of 2023. Meanwhile, the total loss arising from counterfeit banknotes was only slightly up, by just under 5%. The increase was driven by easily identifiable counterfeits, especially of €10 and €20 banknotes, said Burkhard Balz, the Bundesbank’s Executive Board member whose remit includes cash management.

In 2023, the Bundesbank registered more counterfeit money in Germany than in the previous year. In total, there were around 56,600 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €5.1 million. “The increase in counterfeit figures was driven by a handful of major cases of fraud, predominantly involving counterfeit €200 and €500 banknotes,” stated Bundesbank Executive Board member Burkhard Balz. Overall, the incidence of counterfeiting is still low and the risk to members of the public remains small, he said.