Gardai have issued a warning about fake €2 coins.
Officers in Raheny in Dublin seized coins with an apparent value of almost €3,000 at the end of July.
They say it's the first large seizure of counterfeit coins in this jurisdiction.
Can you tell the real from the fake in this pic?
Gardaí in Raheny have uncovered hundreds of fake €2 coins worth an estimated €2920 and one persons been charged.
Officers are appealing to people to watch for coins with odd sizing, weight or lettering that could be fake pic.twitter.com/S8tvNeP8Gs— Mairéad Cleary (@maireadcleary7) August 3, 2022
As a result of the operation, one person was charged and brought before the courts, and assets worth almost €74,000 have been frozen in bank accounts.
Gardai say fake coins have poor quality image detail, letters are often missing or feature incorrect spelling or font, and some counterfeit coins can bend.
There are different tests you can do to make sure a €2 coin you have is the real deal like using magnets. An Garda Síochana says: "Genuine €2 and €1 coins are slightly magnetic.
"Using a magnet you should be able to lift the coin up, but with the weight of the coin and the slight magnetism you should be able to shake the coin off the magnet with ease.
"Most counterfeit €2 and €1 coins are either very magnetic, non-magnetic, or just the ring is magnetic due to the materials used.
"Genuine 50 cent coins are non-magnetic.
"You could also compare the suspect note or coin with a known genuine specimen."
