Nearly a quarter-century after the euro was introduced, Germans are still exchanging large amounts of Deutsche Marks. These figures were reported by the German Central Bank.
According to the data, in 2024, approximately 53 million Deutsche Marks were exchanged, amounting to about €27.2 million. This figure is slightly lower than in 2023, when around 58 million Deutsche Marks were submitted for exchange.
Germany is one of six countries—alongside Austria, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—that still allow the exchange of their former currencies for euros.
The euro was officially introduced on January 1, 2002, and today, 20 countries are official members of the eurozone.
The Bundesbank estimates that more than 20 years after the euro’s introduction, up to 12.2 billion Deutsche Marks (approximately €6.24 billion) remain unexchanged.
Throughout the year, several significant finds have been reported, including one family who discovered a tin containing 250 Deutsche Mark banknotes in their garden, valued at approximately €4,600.
