The Central Bank of Malta reminded the public in a statement last week that the Maltese lira is the only legal tender currency in Malta and will remain so until Malta adopts the euro.

Until that time the euro is to be treated as a foreign currency, like any other. Since some members of the public do, nevertheless, come into contact with euro notes and coins in the course of their business activities or for travel purposes, the bank advised that the same vigilance should be exercised as when handling all other foreign currency notes and coins.

To minimise the risk of accepting counterfeits, attention should be given to banknote security features, particularly when accepting high-denomination euro notes.

Information on how to recognise genuine euro notes and coins is available on the Website of the European Central Bank www.ecb.int by clicking on the tab 'Banknotes and Coins'.