20 Euros, the most falsified ticket

The EUR 20 banknotes have been converted into the most counterfeit Eurosystem banknotes for the first half of the year, ahead of the first 50 euro bills, according to a note from the European Central Bank (ECB) of counterfeit notes withdrawn in this period.

In percentage terms, 44% of the counterfeit banknotes withdrawn correspond to the 20 euro banknotes, ahead of the 36% of 50 euro banknotes and 12% of the 100 euro banknote. Tickets of 10 euros (4%), tickets 200 euros (2%) and tickets of 5 and 500 euros (both 1%) recorded a much lower proportion.

Between January and June this year, banknotes of 20 and 50 euros accounted for 80% of counterfeits. The current trend, however, is a decline in counterfeit euro banknotes and an increase in Euro banknotes 100, which has also gained in popularity among counterfeiters, as it has risen to 12% of copies withdrawn.

The number of counterfeit banknotes withdrawn has remained stable over the past two years. In the first half of the year 300,000 counterfeit notes were withdrawn, 14,000 more than in the previous half and 7,000 more than in the same period of 2005, although below the levels recorded until the first half of 2004. The maintenance of this figure coincides with a increase in circulation.

On the other hand, 98% of counterfeiting came from eurozone countries, while less than 1% was registered in EU countries not included in the monetary region and 1% in the rest of the world.

The ECB, which works with Europol and the European Commission to locate counterfeit notes, reminds citizens that they "can rely on the quality of tickets and their security systems", but at the same time advises them to remain alert and in case of doubt, are verified by the "touch-mire-incline" method described in the Eurosystem publications and on the Internet addresses of the ECB and the national central bank