A total 951 counterfeit euro banknotes were reported to the Central Bank in the first half of this year.

The Central Bank said in a statement this morning that, consequently, the overall quantity of counterfeits withdrawn from circulation from January to June was 10.2 per cent lower compared with the aggregate figure for the previous six months, albeit higher than the level reported in the same period of 2011.


2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1
Number of counterfeits 642 903 798 520 760 1663 484 1059 951
1545 1318 2423 1543

As a proportion of the estimated number of euro banknotes in circulation in Malta - around 20.57 million on average for the first half of 2012-, the number of euro counterfeits remains insignificant., the CBM said.

The number is also very low (0.38 per cent) when compared to the number of counterfeits seized in the euro area in the same period, which according to the European Central amounted to 251,000 pieces.

Similar to developments in the euro area as a whole, the €20 and €50 continue to be the most counterfeited denominations found locally accounting for slightly over 90 per cent of the total reported during the first half of 2012.

During the past six months, the share of €20 counterfeits decreased from 73.2% to 36.1%, whilst that of the €0 increased from 21.8% to 54.4%.

    €5 €10 €20 €50 €100 €200 €500
Percentage Breakdown Euro Area 0.5 2.5 42.5 34.5 17 2.5 0.5
Malta 0.3 3.4 36.1 54.4 5.7 0.1 0

Anyone who receives a counterfeit note or suspects that he is in possession of such a note should contact the police on 2122 4001 or the Central Bank on 2550 6008 or 225 6012, email-csu@centralbankmalta.org  .

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