Germans still exchanging marks for euros today

(Patria) - In the past year, more than 20 years after the introduction of the euro on January 1, 2002, citizens of Germany exchanged about 53 million German marks for euros.

- People most often bring 100 mark banknotes, but also one pfennig coins - says the Chairman of the German central bank, Burkhart Balz.

This means that about five million marks less were exchanged last year than the year before, Hina reports.

Even 23 years after the introduction of the euro as a means of payment, about 12 billion marks, equivalent to about six billion euros, have not been returned in Germany.

The German central bank assumes that a large part of the German mark banknotes and coins are abroad, given that the mark was a popular means of payment in many countries, especially in Southeastern Europe.

Germany, along with Austria, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, is among those countries where there is no time limit for returning banknotes and coins of the old currency.

German marks can be returned in person or by mail to all 31 branches of the German central bank.