The official site of Italy's central bank

Coins

Damaged coins

The term "damaged" or "unfit for circulation" means those euro coins that are defective or whose technical parameters have been significantly altered as regards size, weight, colour, corrosion or damage to the edges following a long period of circulation or as a result of accidental damage.

Deliberately altered - but not counterfeit - coins are also included in this category.

All member states of the European Union must reimburse or replace euro coins that are unfit for circulation, regardless of the country of issue (and therefore of the national side imprint). See the Commission Recommendation of 27 May 2005 - Official Journal 15.7.2005.

Anyone in possession of damaged euro coins can hand them in to any branch of the Bank of Italy. They must be packaged in conformity with EU Regulation 1210/2010, as specified below. The Bank of Italy will issue the bearer a receipt and forward the packages of damaged coins to the State Printing Works and Mint, which is responsible for reimbursement decisions.

Members of the public who hand in unfit euro coins to branches of the Bank of Italy pay no commission for reimbursement or replacement. Nevertheless, all metal coins that have been deliberately altered or have incisions or symbols that are intended to offend the State and its representative institutions are treated in the same way as counterfeit coins and are therefore not reimbursed.

Coins unfit for circulation presented for reimbursement or replacement must be submitted to the branches of the Bank of Italy in standardized containers and sorted by denomination, as follows:

(i) 500 coins container for the denominations of EUR 2 or EUR 1,
(ii) 1 000 coins for each of the denominations of EUR 0.50, EUR 0.20 and EUR 0.10,
(iii) 2 000 coins for each of the denominations of EUR 0.05, EUR 0.02 and EUR 0.01,
(iv) for smaller quantities, 100 coins of each denomination.

The natural or legal person submitting the package must provide a list of the containers, each identified by a number. Each container must bear the identifying details of the person, the value and the denomination contained, the weight, the date of packaging and the container number.

The containers required are common self-sealing, transparent plastic bags, commercially available.

Where the total quantity of euro coins unfit for circulation is smaller than the requirements set forth above, the coins must be sorted by denomination and may be submitted in non-standard packaging.

If the coins have been treated with chemical or other hazardous substances, separate standard packaging units must be prepared and accompanied by a written declaration specifying the exact substances that have been used.

Similarly, unfit coins collected for charitable purposes (such as "fountain coins") must be packaged in distinct standardized containers accompanied by a written declaration specifying the nature and specific cause of the damage.