For most Germans its demise was regrettable. But three years after the Deutschmark was abolished, the currency is to make a surprise comeback in the run-up to Christmas.

The retail and fashion chain C&A has announced that it will accept the mark at all of its 312 stores across Germany. The move has less to do with nostalgia and more to do with hard-headed economics. According to official estimates, Germans have around DM15 billion (€7.7 billion) which they have as yet failed to convert into euros.

The euro is still deeply mistrusted by Germans. They are frequently heard to complain that since the euro was introduced prices have gone up, and link Germany's economic woes with the mark's demise.

Many German stores still display goods in both currencies. "We wanted to offer our customers the opportunity to exchange their D-Marks lying around at home for Christmas presents," a C&A spokesman, Mr Thorsten Rolfes, said. "These are difficult economic times." The exchange service would run up to Christmas Eve, he said.

The mark disappeared as a currency on January 1st, 2002. Germans can still convert marks at selected banks. - (Guardian Service)