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More counterfeit euro banknotes withdrawn in second half of 2014: ECB

Xinhua, January 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

More than 500,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in the second half of 2014, up 44 percent over the same period the previous year, the European Central Bank (ECB) said on Friday.

"The overall number of counterfeits, however, remains very low in comparison with the increasing number of genuine banknotes in circulation," ECB said in a statement.

The statement said 86 percent of all counterfeits were the 20 euro and 50 euro banknotes, and all euro banknotes could be easily verified using the "feel, look, and tilt" method.

According to the ECB, 97.5 percent of the counterfeits were found in euro area countries but that currency continues to be a trusted and safe means of payment. Endit