Euro coins
 

How is the Euro broken down in coins and what are thay called e.g quarter/?

Cents. They come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent pieces.

I found the 1 and 2 cent pieces as uncommon. Maybe just at the stores that I shopped?<BR><BR>Beware of counterfeit 2 euro pieces! Italian 500 lira coins looks like the 2 euro piece. The British 10p piece looks like a Canadian 25 cent coin.

Don't forget, the Brits don't use the Euro. Also, get a few before you leave on your trip for tips, etc.

We have two mugs full of 1 and 2 euro cents--we have more than we can deal with. Although they are officially called &quot;cents&quot;, don't be surprised to hear them still called &quot;centimes&quot; in French-speaking countries.<BR>

The introduction of the Euro has been quite helpful for tourists. This is particular true for countries that one does not repeatedly visit.<BR><BR>I have quite a few Australian dollars, pound sterling, etc. However, it was nice to have Euros on a trip to Belgium. If they would have still used Francs, I would have had to exchange some money before doing anything else.

My coffers are overflowing with the 1- and 2-cent euro coins. I would hardly call them &quot;uncommon.&quot; The problem is that there is never enough time when checking out of a supermarket (where you have to bag your own groceries) or other store to try to get rid of them by giving the exact change. And they are so tiny, they get lost amid the rest of the change. I don't understand why they minted them - they're just a pain.<BR>

Finland does not use 1 and 2 cent coins. Some were minted just as examples for the initial introduction kit. So, if you happen to have one of those Finnish small coins, collectors would pay a lot to get them.

duke6979,<BR><BR>The 1 &amp; 2 Euro dollar coins are very popular as well.<BR><BR>JoeG

In my local newspaper a couple of weekends ago, there was an article about debit cards in Paris. You buy them with values of whatever amount you want ; each time you use it, the amount is taken off of the value of the card. There is no identification attached to the card, so if its lost, you're out the money left on it. But it sounds like a great idea to eliminate the hassle of counting out money. Has anyone who has been to Paris lately, encountered such a card, and could you fill the rest of us in on it: where do you buy them and are most places set up to do business with them?<BR>Thanks, Kay

According to elina, Hiroshi is not crazy. (1 and 2 cent coins being rare in some countries).<BR><BR>Kay's post is interesting but it offers not much extra value. If a magnet touches, you have lost money. If it is a square chip, it's better, but can be smashed. Money is not heavy to me. Some countries (particularly the US) uses a lot of paper currency and fewer coins, so they may hate to carry coins. In the UK, coins are in wide use. Even men carry coin purses.