RULES FOR ESTABLISHING COMPLIANCE OF THE CURRENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA WITH ACCEPTABILITY FEATURES AND EXCHANGING WORN AND DAMAGED CURRENCY
APPROVED by the Resolution of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania No. 49 of 22 April 1999; AMENDED by the Resolution of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania No. 24 of 19 February 2009.
1. These Rules establish the acceptability features of banknotes and coins (hereinafter referred to as “currency”) of the Republic of Lithuania, according to which currency shall be accepted for payments and settlements or recognised as not acceptable; the Rules also establish the procedure of the exchanging of worn or damaged currency at the Bank of Lithuania and commercial banks.
2. The following undamaged, worn and damaged currency is acceptable for payments and settlements:
2.1. Soiled (but not soiled with special inks used for protection against theft), written-on, painted, torn, torn apart or otherwise damaged banknotes;
2.2. Banknotes with at least three fourths of the remaining area and one serial and one number inscription;
2.3. Deformed or damaged coins with a recognisable state emblem of the Republic of Lithuania and denomination numeral.
3. Worn currency or currency containing features of damage indicated in sub-items 2.1.–2.3. of these Rules shall be exchanged at the Bank of Lithuania and commercial banks free of charge.
4. The following damaged currency is not acceptable for payments and settlements but shall be exchanged at the Bank of Lithuania and commercial banks free of charge:
4.1. Banknotes with less than three fourths but more than one half of the remaining area, with one serial and one number inscription;
4.2. Banknotes with one half of the remaining area having the watermark, and one serial and one number inscription;
4.3. Banknotes with less than one half of the remaining area, with both serial and number inscriptions, denomination number and a watermark.
5. In case the currency is damaged in other ways than those indicated in sub-items 4.1.–4.3. and their acceptability is doubtful, commercial banks shall accept it and send such currency for the expertise according to the procedure established by the Bank of Lithuania. The decision about the acceptability of the currency shall be taken by the experts of the Bank of Lithuania.
A person wishing to exchange damaged currency must present a personal identification document and explain the circumstances of damaging the currency in writing.
6. Only unworn and undamaged banknotes shall be issued by commercial banks to their clients; commercial banks shall exchange worn and damaged currency at the Bank of Lithuania.
7. In case doubts arise that currency is counterfeit or soiled with special inks used for the protection against theft, such currency is not exchangeable or acceptable for payments and settlements.
8. The Bank of Lithuania does not reimburse the value of currency that is not acceptable, counterfeit or soiled with special inks used for the protection against theft; also the Bank of Lithuania does not give back such currency to the submitter except for the cases when currency soiled with special inks used for the protection against theft is submitted by commercial banks and institutions which use such inks in performing their work and explain circumstances of damaging in writing.
