Increase in the number of counterfeit €50 notes

In the first half of 2017, the Bundesbank registered approximately 39,700 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €2.2 million. The number of counterfeits rose by 8.7% compared with the second half of 2016. Statistically, this equates to around ten counterfeit banknotes per 10,000 inhabitants in Germany per year.

"Although the current figures for counterfeits have shown an increase in the first half of the year, I am expecting the number of €50 counterfeits to go down in the second half of the year," said Carl-Ludwig Thiele, member of the Bundesbank's Executive Board. In April, the new €50 banknote with improved protection against counterfeiting was introduced. "I am expecting the counterfeit figures to follow a pattern similar to that seen following the introduction of the new €20 banknote in November 2015 when the number of counterfeits of this denomination dropped significantly," Mr Thiele added.

The change in the incidence of counterfeit euro banknotes was due primarily to a rise in the number of counterfeit €50 notes of the first series of euro banknotes, which accounted for just under two-thirds of all counterfeits in the first six months of 2017.

The incidence of counterfeit euro banknotes in the first half of 2017 can be broken down as follows.

Notes	Number	Share (rounded)
€5	225	1 %
€10	651	2 %
€20	8,954	23 %
€50	25,147	63 %
€100	3,767	9 %
€200	316	1 %
€500	625	2 %
Total	39,685

Recognising counterfeit banknotes

Banknotes should always be checked carefully using the "feel, look and tilt" method, as counterfeit money is not eligible for reimbursement.

A number of different security features should always be checked, as it is only through the combination of the different effects that the authenticity of euro banknotes can be verified.

• Raised print on the front of the banknotes can be identified by touch.

  • First series of euro banknotes: the letters "BCE ECB EZB EKT EKP" near the top edge

  • Europa series of banknotes: the letters "BCE ECB EЦБ EZB EKP EKT EKB BĊE EBC" as well as a series of short lines on the left and right-hand edges

• The watermark appears as a silhouetted image in the unprinted area when the banknote is held against the light. The upper section of the hologram contains a transparent window (denominations of €20 and above) displaying a portrait of Europa.

• The hologram images change when the banknote is tilted.

• On the reverse side of the banknotes of the first series, the value numeral on the right-hand side changes from red to green (denominations of €50 and above) when the banknote is tilted.

• An emerald number can be seen on the left-hand side on the front of the banknotes belonging to the Europa series. When the banknote is tilted, the emerald number changes colour and the effect of a light stripe moving up and down becomes visible.

When checking a suspect banknote, it is advisable to compare it with one that is known to be genuine, such as a banknote withdrawn from an ATM.

Checking banknotes using a magnifying glass, counterfeit detector marker or an ultraviolet lamp does not always produce a clear-cut test result. It is therefore better to combine the use of these tools with a check of other security features.

Rise in the number of counterfeit coins

In the first half of 2017, approximately 18,500 counterfeit coins were detected in German payments, compared with 14,340 in the previous six-month period. Statistically, this equates to around four counterfeit coins per 10,000 inhabitants in Germany per year.

Counterfeits were identified only in the three highest denominations, and their incidence in the first six months of 2017 was as follows.

Coins	Number	Share (rounded)
50 cents	707	4 %
€1	2,569	14 %
€2	15,229	82 %
Total	18,505

Checking coins for authenticity

The following pointers can make it easier to identify genuine coins.

• On genuine euro coins, the motif stands out clearly from the background of the coin. By contrast, the image on counterfeit coins often appears blurred, and the surface of the coins may be uneven.
• Counterfeits generally differ slightly in colour from genuine coins.
• The edge inscriptions of genuine €2 coins are sharp. Those on counterfeit coins are frequently incomplete or irregular.
• Genuine €1 and €2 coins are only slightly magnetic. They are attracted to magnets but can be removed again with very little effort. Counterfeit coins, on the other hand, are usually either non-magnetic or are strongly attracted to magnets.

Counterfeit prevention

Through its branch network, the Bundesbank provides training courses free of charge to the banking industry, retailers and any other interested parties. Participants are given typical counterfeits to test using the "feel, look and tilt" method. Contact details for the branches may be found on the Bundesbank's website. In addition, information (in the form of brochures and posters) can be ordered from the Bundesbank free of charge. An interactive learning program entitled "Detecting Counterfeits" (Falschgeld erkennen) can also be accessed online (German only).

Information on this subject is updated regularly on the Bundesbank's website, the European Central Bank's website, and on the German police force's website (German only).

To ensure that important information concerning people who pass counterfeits is not lost, the Bundesbank strongly advises you to notify the police of counterfeit banknotes and coins immediately and to hand these in to the police.