Gardaí have warned people to check their euro notes and coins carefully, following the discovery of forged money in Monaghan, Dublin and Kildare recently.
The first counterfeit euro coin in Europe was passed in a shop in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, on Saturday, according to Supt John Farrelly, Garda press officer.
The "o" was missing from the word "euro" on the €1 coin. It did not have a serrated edge and looked faded, as though it had been in circulation for 30 or 40 years.
Also on Saturday, three counterfeit €50 notes were passed in a pub in Dublin. All had the same serial number: T40133173497.
The see-through register did not match up on these notes, Supt Farrelly said. They did not feature holograms, and there was no silver foil running down the centre. The badge on the right-hand side was blue rather than silver.
Earlier this month a shop in Celbridge, Co Kildare, received a forged €50 note.
Supt Farrelly said people would have to check their notes and coins carefully. Now that people had adapted to the currency, they were not scrutinising the notes and coins.
"Even shop assistants should check their notes and coins in front of customers. Do not be embarrassed about it. These opportunist criminals target busy premises where huge transactions are going on."
Anyone discovering forged notes or coins in their possession should contact the Garda Síochána. The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigations is leading the investigation into the forgeries.
The most recent Garda statistics show that in 2000 the bureau dealt with 71 reports of counterfeit currency. Combined with counterfeit currency received by the Central Bank, some £362,760 was discovered to be counterfeit in 2000.
