News Release
Bank of England Counterfeit Banknotes Data 2007
28 April 2008
The Bank of England has today published data on its website on the incidence of counterfeit Bank of England banknotes in calendar year 2007.
The data show that the number of counterfeits taken out of circulation in 2007 fell by 24% to 290,000, compared with 384,000 in 2006. There was a corresponding fall in the notional face value of counterfeits to £5.8mn (£7.6mn in 2006). On average, in 2007 there were more than 2.2 billion genuine notes in circulation with a face value of just over £37 billion.
The Bank works closely with law enforcement agencies to combat the counterfeiting of banknotes. To help cash users to identify genuine banknotes, the Bank produces a range of educational materials. These include posters, leaflets, a film and a computer-based training CD-ROM. Details can be found at www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes.
Further details and data on counterfeit banknotes can be found at www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/counterfeits.htm.
