Euro coin packs go on sale

The new euro coin starter packs which go on sale today are no pre-changeover gimmick, insists the Central Bank of Ireland spokesman, Mr Neil Whoriskey.

While predicting the packs would make a popular Christmas stocking-filler, he said the coins should be used to buy small items such as newspapers and milk from New Year's Day onwards.

"This is a working set of coins. What we do not want on January 1st and 2nd is for people to be paying with notes only and no one to be building up a stock of coins," he said.

The packs, which can be bought from post offices, banks and some credit unions for the face value price of €6.35 (£5), are therefore being sold in "purposely unattractive" plastic bags, according to Mr Whoriskey.

"They're not being sold as collector's items or souvenirs. They are being sold so people will have actual coins to use on January 1st, not so they'll look nice on the mantelpiece."

Each of the one million packs available contains 19 coins worth €6.35. The first packs went on sale at the GPO in Dublin at 8 a.m. this morning. The eight euro coins are smaller and lighter than the seven Irish coins. Although the denominations are the same, there is one extra, the €2 coin.

Throughout the countries which have signed up to the euro, the "common" side of the bronze five, two and one cent coins features a design showing Europe in the globe. The silver-coloured 50, 20 and 10 cent coins depict the EU as a group of separate nations, while the bi-metal €2 and €1 coins show Europe without frontiers. The coins can be used in all countries that have signed up to the euro.

The countries which have not signed up to the single currency - Britain, Sweden and Denmark - are also included in the designs. The other side features a design reflecting the country in which the coins were produced. The design selected for the Irish coins was the harp and the word "╔ire".

For coin collectors, a commemorative set of euro coins will be available in January. The brightly coloured euro notes will not be available to the public until January 1st to lessen the risk of counterfeiting.