Exchange damaged euro coins
Notice I New appointment service for exchanging money at the Central Bank
You must now book an appointment to exchange banknotes or coins in-person at the Central Bank’s public office.
Please note: There are no appointments available for the exchange of banknote/coin applications in person at the Central Bank from 19 December 2024 to 3rd January 2025, inclusive. Our Teller service will remain operational until 1pm on 24 December 2024 to facilitate the exchange of high denomination banknotes only.
To exchange damaged euro coins please follow the steps below.
Step 1. Prepare your coins
Damaged coins
You can make an application for damaged euro coins to be replaced. The Central Bank will consider your application under its procedures which are governed by the EU Regulation 1210/2010 concerning authentication of euro coins and handling of euro coins unfit for circulation (EU Regulation 1210/2010).
Read how to prepare and package your money below, including some special conditions.
Step 2. Download and complete the application form
Exchange damaged € euro coins | pdf 870 KB
Step 3. Weight restriction
Due to Health & Safety and Manual Handling requirements, submissions up to a maximum weight of 10kg only will be accepted. If your submissions is above this weight restriction, please contact our Customer Service team.
Step 4. Prepare supporting documents
For a personal application worth over €200
If the value of exchange is worth over €200, you must include a high-quality photocopy of an official identity document which reflects the name on the bank account details you provide with your application form. This can be either your
- Passport or
- Driver's licence
The photocopy must clearly show your full name, photograph and date of birth. You are also required to provide proof of address and proof of ownership of the bank account into which the funds will be exchanged (e.g. a redacted bank statement).
- You must be able to demonstrate where the coins came from, i.e. you must provide reliable and independent data, documents and/or information to evidence the source of funds (i.e. the physical banknotes) and/or proof of your ownership of the banknotes. This may include:
- Documents evidencing payments made to you
- Bank account statements/bank withdrawal receipts
- Receipts of sale
- Legal documents, etc
For a business or charity application worth over €200
Include the following information with your application:
- CRO (Companies Registration Office) number
- High-quality photocopy of a redacted bank statement for the company bank account included on your application form
- Letter from the Company or Charity authorising you to act on their behalf
Step 5. Check other application conditions
You may also have to meet other conditions to apply for an exchange. This includes circumstances where your coins:
- Are contaminated, e.g. with blood or chemicals
- Need extra testing
- Need special handling due to the nature of the damage or contamination
- Weigh over 10KG (a maximum limit of 10KG applies to coin lodgements)
Read the full application conditions below
Step 6. Submit your application
There are three options when submitting your application to the Central Bank:
Option 1: Via a Retail Bank Branch
In some cases, you may be able to apply to exchange old or damaged money via your bank branch. You must complete the appropriate Central Bank exchange form at a retail bank branch, and they may submit the application directly to the Central Bank on your behalf. Contact your bank directly to ask about this option.
Option 2: Registered Post
Applicants within Ireland may complete the appropriate form and send it by Registered Post directly to the Central Bank address listed on the form.
Please see the An Post website for further information on sending restricted items by post. Applications submitted to the Central Bank by post are at the sender’s risk.
Option 3: At the Central Bank's Public Office [By appointment only]
Public access to our offices and teller services in North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 is currently limited and by appointment only.
How to make an appointment:
Five appointments slots are available to book at 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30 and 15:00 Monday to Friday.
To inquire about the availability of a date and time for an appointment, please email: [email protected] or telephone +353 (1) 224 5969.
Step 7: After you apply
When we receive your application, we will check that you have included the:
- Completed application form(s)
- Money to be exchanged, i.e. coins
- Supporting documents (if required)
We will also check other conditions where relevant, e.g. weight, contamination, etc.
We will then process your application. This may involve sending the coins for testing and engaging with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, An Garda Síochána and other competent authorities.
Make sure to present your coins in such a way that we can identify and verify them. Coins must be separated and bagged per denomination.
Please note that the Central Bank does not accept Sterling or any other foreign currency for exchange.
If your coins are contaminated or could pose a risk to health and safety, you must include a health and safety assessment carried out by an authority accredited by Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB).
This may include:
- Blood
- Mould
- Sewage
- Drugs
- Unknown substances
We will refuse to reimburse your application if we know, or have sufficient reason to believe, that:
- Genuine coins have been intentionally damaged
- A criminal offence has been committed
- The coin is suspected of being counterfeit or altered
We will withhold coins as described above (against acknowledgement of a receipt) as evidence to initiate or support a criminal investigation by relevant authorities.
At the end of such an investigation, unless the relevant authorities decide otherwise, these coins will qualify for reimbursement as normal.
We may refuse to reimburse euro coins that have been altered either deliberately or by a process that could be reasonably expected to have the effect of altering them.
You will be informed by post if you are not reimbursed to the full value of your application. We will not return coins that we find to be counterfeit.
A handling fee of 5% of the value of the submitted euro coins, may be withheld from the reimbursement depending on the level of testing required to authenticate them.
In the event that anomalies are present in a sample of coins taken from a box or bag as part of the verification process, it is necessary to check the entire bag or box. See Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1210/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
In this case, we may supplement the handling fee with an additional 15 per cent fee of the nominal value of the submitted euro coins.
Where a lodgement of euro coins includes coins treated with chemical or other hazardous substances to such a degree that they may be deemed by the Central Bank to present a health risk for handlers, the charges levied shall be supplemented by a further fee equivalent to 20% of the value of the euro coins submitted.
The Central Bank may, at its sole discretion, refuse to give any value for such coins notwithstanding that it has withdrawn them from circulation.
Please sort large amounts of Irish and euro coins in standardised bags or boxes comprising:
- 500 coins for each denomination of 2 Euro and 1 Euro
- 1,000 coins for each denomination of 50 cent and 20 cent
- 2,000 coins for each denomination of 10 cent, 5 cent, 2 cent and 1 cent.
For smaller quantities, please sort the coins into separate packages based on the face value.
Each bag or box must contain a packaging list that describes the contents, including:
- Values and the denominations contained
- Contact details of the person submitting the coins
- Weight
- Date of packaging, and the bag or box number
Contact and help
If you have any queries about this service please read our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us at: [email protected].