20 Euro notes, the most counterfeited
A total of 413,000 counterfeit euro notes were removed from circulation in the first half of 2009, a figure that represents an increase of around 17% compared to the amount recovered in the previous six months, according to a statement today by the European Central Bank (ECB).
The 20 euro note was the most counterfeited in the first half of 2009 and accounted for 48.5% of the total counterfeit notes detected, followed by the 50 euro (34%) and 100 euro (13.5%) notes.
The least counterfeited notes were the 5 and 500 euros, the 10 euro notes (1%) and the 200 euro notes (2%).
The sum of the three intermediate denominations (20, 50 and 100) accounted for more than 95% of the total counterfeit notes.
Almost 98% of the counterfeit notes withdrawn in the first half of 2009 were detected in euro zone countries, only around 1% in EU member states not belonging to the euro zone and less than 0.5% in other parts of the world.
The ECB explains that during the period under review, no new significant types of counterfeit were detected, so the increase is due exclusively to a wider distribution of existing counterfeiting classes. The level of counterfeiting should be compared to the number of authentic euro notes in circulation (an average of 12.5 billion during the first half of 2009).
However, the ECB recommends that citizens remain vigilant regarding the notes they receive in cash transactions, as the more familiar they are with the properties and characteristics of authentic notes, the easier it will be to detect a counterfeit.
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