A mountain of Euro coins are being stored for the Central Bank at the Irish Mint ready for introduction next year.
The countdown has begun for the introduction of Euro banknotes and coins on 1 January 2002. It has been described as the greatest currency changeover the world has ever seen.
Twelve European countries including Ireland with 300 million people, will adopt and use the seven Euro banknotes and eight Euro coins. The Central Bank has already minted and stored nearly 600 million new Euro coins.
It is by far the biggest store of coinage ever seen in this country.
Hugh O Donnell, Central Bank, says the coins are being produced at a rate of two thousand per minute.
This is an exercise that will be repeated in countries across the Euro area. 50 billion Euro coins and 14.5 billion Euro notes will replace the old notes and coins from participating countries.
The greatest currency changeover the world has ever seen.
The Central Bank says that by next September, there will be a total of one billion coins ready for the changeover.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 2 January 2001. The reporter is George Lee.
