ČNB: Counterfeit and altered money up by 47 percent
Prague, July 7 (ČTK) — The Czech National Bank (ČNB) seized 1,988 counterfeit and altered banknotes and coins of various currencies in the first half of this year, up by 47 percent year-on-year, according to data from the ČNB.
Czech banknotes and coins were the most frequently forged currency, their number rising to 1,231 from 945 on the year.
The number of forged banknotes and coins in dollars grew from 29 to 183. In euros, the number currency counterfeits grew from 323 to 559.
Besides counterfeits, the central bank also seized 2,672 currency imitations in H1, compared with 437 in H1 2013. Unlike counterfeits, imitations are produced for other purposes than being put into circulation. They include film props, teaching aids and advertising items.
In 2013, a total of 3.130 pieces of counterfeit and altered banknotes and coins of all currencies were seized, down by almost one third year-on-year.
At the end of 2013, nearly 2.25 billion banknotes and coins were in circulation in the Czech Republic, an annual rise of more than 3 percent.
The value of the money in circulation rose from 421 billion Kč in 2012 to 440 billion Kč in 2013. The data do not include commemorative coins.
No. of counterfeit and altered banknotes and coins in 2000 – 2014:
| year | number |
| 2000 | 9,563 |
| 2001 | 7,238 |
| 2002 | 6,350 |
| 2003 | 11,187 |
| 2004 | 9,361 |
| 2005 | 9,337 |
| 2006 | 7,922 |
| 2007 | 3,576 |
| 2008 | 4,612 |
| 2009 | 6,955 |
| 2010 | 6,529 |
| 2011 | 6,002 |
| 2012 | 4,514 |
| H1 2013 | 1,349 |
| 2013 | 3,130 |
| H1 2014 | 1,988 |
Source: ČNB
