A new batch of one pound coins have caused some concern and sparked rumours of counterfeiting.
Two million new one pound coins came into circulation recently and are causing some problems for retailers and consumers alike. The new pound coins even caused some shopkeepers to turn custom away. The Central Bank has assured the public the coins are perfectly legal tender.
They look the same, they feel the same, they even weigh the same, but they just don't jangle the same.
Peter Redmond of Redmond's Supermarket thinks the Central Bank and the Mint could have communicated with the public better about the new coins.
The Central Bank did inform retailers and even put public notices in the newspapers. Neil Whoriskey of the Central Bank, says there is no evidence of counterfeit pound coins in circulation.
In the case of the 1999 one pound coin there have been slight technical variations in the production process but the metal composition is exactly the same as all previous one pound coins.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 2 November 1999. The reporter is Roisin Duffy.
