Almost €350 million worth of old Irish money is still unaccounted for, according to Ireland's Central Bank.
Ireland swapped the Irish Punt for the Euro in 2002, but the Irish Central Bank has said that €347 million still remains unaccounted for 19 years later.
Less than €400,000 worth of old Irish Punts were exchanged in 2020, the smallest amount exchanged in a calendar year since Ireland moved to the Euro in 2002.
Last year, people exchanged €281,000 worth of notes in 740 transactions in addition to €117,000 worth of coins in 292 transactions.
In 2019, €800,000 was exchanged, while €1.8 million was exchanged in 2014; €1.6 million in 2015, and €1.5 million in 2016.
In contrast, around 150 people arrived at the Central Bank every week to change their old money for Euros within the first decade of the changeover, while 90% of Irish Punts were taken out of circulation by the end of 2002, leaving just €463 million unaccounted for.
That figure has only been reduced by €116 million in the 19 years since and the Central Bank said that there is still €224 million in old banknotes and €123 million in old coins still unaccounted for.
There is no time limit for exchanging the old currency to allow for the unlikely event that everyone still in possession of the old currency decides to exchange it for Euros.
The Irish Punt is worth €1.27 and the old money has previously been found in clothes donated to charity, under mattresses, in skips, and buried in gardens.
The Central Bank shreds all notes that are returned, while all coins are melted down for reuse.
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