2014-12-10
Over the first week alone people bought hundreds of thousands of Lithuanian euro coin starter kits
During the first week of December people bought more than 350 thousand euro coin starter kits, designated for the public to get acquainted with the future currency of the country.
270 thousand kits were sold at commercial banks, more than 52 thousand — at branches of Lithuania Post, and over 32 thousand at the Bank of Lithuania's cash offices.
“The popularity of the Lithuanian euro coins exceeded expectation, because over the first week alone more than a third of all the kits were purchased. We keep on sending new deliveries to places of sale. The volume of minted starter kits is significant and was calculated with a reserve; however, those who wish to enter the euro area with Lithuanian euro in hand shouldn't doze off,” says Gintautas Moška, Project Head of the Cash Service of the Bank of Lithuania.
According to him, people are drawn in by the chance to become acquainted with the Lithuanian euro coins, many buy the starter kits as holiday gifts for their families, the kits are bought as change, they are particularly bought by representatives of small businesses and Lithuanian and foreign collectors are purchasing them as well.
In total, 900 thousand starter kits for the public have been minted and formed by the Bank of Lithuania.
The public must be vigilant, because for a while already online retailers and others have been offering to sell the starter kits for a price larger than the official one. The Lithuanian euro coins can be safely purchased only at commercial bank branches, the Bank of Lithuania's cash offices and 330 branches of Lithuania Post.
The value of one starter kit, sold for LTL 40 (EUR 11.58) is EUR 11.59. The starter kit consists of 23 Lithuanian euro coins marked with the Vytis: 1, 2, 10, 20 and 50 euro cents, three of each; 1 and 2 euro coins as well as two 5 euro cent coins. The starter kits are being sold only in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania and only to natural persons, no more than 5 kits at a time for one individual.
The Lithuanian euro coins will become legal tender as of 1 January 2015.